Psychotic
by TheDemonsWithin
Summary: Erica and Josie have been forced into being nurses at an insane asylum, thanks to their cruel aunt. The ever optimistic Josie loves the idea, but Erica isn't too thrilled. However, what will happen when Erica falls in love with her patient?
1. The People on the Train

**Author's Note: Once again, I do NOT own any Yu-Gi-Oh! characters. I had something else to say, but I forgot what is was... So, I suppose I can stop now! Enjoy!~**

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><p>Chapter 1: The People on the Train<p>

The boy with the white hair was sitting across from me on the train. He had been gazing out the window, but now he had fallen asleep. His fluffy, long, white hair came down to the middle of his back, and I'd say he was about an inch shorter than me, which would make him 5 foot 5 inches. While he was awake, I had noticed he had soft, chocolate-brown eyes. Not quite as dark as my own brown eyes, but not exactly light either.

Behind me was a bronze skinned boy with sort of tan, blonde hair that came down to his upper back. He was taller than me, and was very muscular. He wore a purple shirt that exposed his midriff, tan khakis, and black shoes. He had very pretty lavender eyes and a sweet smile. Looking to be around my age, I guessed he was about 16, while the other boy appeared to be 15, my exact age.

Both of these boys looked and seemed very nice. It made me wonder why they were on a train to an insane asylum. Yes, that's correct. I'm on that very same train too, but not for the reason you think.

My aunt (who isn't very nice) is the one who runs the asylum. She needed new nurses to take care of the patients. Apparently, her 15-year-old niece was one of her best options, because she forced me to do it. So now, my sister, who was also required to do this, and I were on the train with over 30 lunatics.

While I was trying to mind my own business, my sister was up and talking to everyone that would listen. And sometimes, even to people who wouldn't. Josie was a very outgoing girl and pretty much my exact opposite. She was 18, tall, muscly, thin, and beautiful. Her hair is pure white, with blue streaks dyed in several places. Her skin is fair, her nose was pierced, and she loves red lipstick. With light brown eyes and an amazing smile, she was gorgeous. And on top of all that, she's very kind, outgoing, and caring.

I, however, am none of those things. I'm 15, incredibly shy, kind of serious, and pretty quiet. My hair is brown and plain, and I have the darkest brown eyes. I'm not thin whatsoever and am a normal height of 5 foot 6 inches. My skin in just a bit tanner than Josie's, and I mainly wear jeans, converse, and t-shirts. I'm not pretty at all and wear very light makeup.

I was thinking about Josie and myself when she plopped down next to me.

"Wow, most of these people are nuts!" she giggled, "But that makes them even more fun!"

I forgot to mention that Josie's almost always happy and very optimistic.

"Yeah, if you consider getting brutally murdered fun..." I mumbled.

She laughed and punched my arm playfully. "The funnest! But I bet some of these people are actually nice. Like him!" She pointed to the white-haired boy, who was just waking up.

"W-what?..." he stuttered, wide-eyed, "H-have I done something wrong?"

"No, of course not," Josie smiled, "I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm one of the nurses, Josie."

"I'm Ryo," he smiled shyly, "w-what's your name?"

After a moment, Josie elbowed me in the ribs to indicate that Ryo was talking to me.

"Ow," I uttered and glared at Josie, then looked at Ryo, "I'm Erica..."

"Erica... That's a lovely name," he smiled at me and blushed slightly.

Feeling a blush creeping to my own cheeks, I quickly looked to the window again and mumbled, "Thanks..."

Sadly, that's the best compliment I'd ever received, other than from Josie. Ryo smiled sweetly, then looked out the window again. Josie giggled and nudged me, then put her headphones on and began to listen to music.

His simple compliment kept replaying in my mind, and I soon realized he had a British accent. These were maniacs from all around the world, so that wasn't surprising. What was shocking was that I found his accent... cute? I'd never thought of a boy as cute before, I figured no one would ever return the feelings. But as I looked at him, I realized that he was cute. Very cute.

My eyes widened and I tried my hardest to choke these emotions back. Remembering what our destination was helped a bit. But it also made a single question spring into my mind. Why was this boy going to an insane asylum?


	2. Questions

**Authors Note: I decided to update today again. I'm hoping some of you guys read my story! If you enjoy it, that's awesome!**

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><p>Chapter 2: Questions<p>

This boy seemed very sweet, so what had he done that labeled him as crazy?

Well, being a nurse, I had access to my patients' files. Now I just had to hope that he was mine or Josie's patient and not one of the other nurse's. I reached into my bag and took out all the papers. Looking through them, I soon found out Ryo wasn't mine. Therefore, I grabbed Josie's bright orange and yellow backpack and looked through her papers.

"Ryo..." I found myself smiling as I picked up his file. I quietly read it to myself, being extremely cautious to make sure that I was only audible enough for me to hear, no one else.

"Name: Ryo Bakura. Aliases: King of Thieves. Occupation: Student. Hair Color: White. Eye Color: Brown. Known Cases of Misconduct: Thievery, murder, and resisting arrest. Other Information: Has been seen talking to air, using disguises, and denies all crimes."

Murder? I looked towards the happy albino. He was looking out the window and smiling, presumably daydreaming. Something inside me was screaming out that this boy was not capable of even causing someone trouble, let alone killing someone. However, I kept my thoughts to myself and put the papers away. I shouldn't have worried about Ryo in the first place. All I had to be apprehensive about was doing my job correctly and pleasing my aunt. Which I would be attempting at that very moment, because the train had finally arrived at our destination.

"Okay everyone! Time to get off this hunk of metal and enter our new home!" Josie shouted cheerfully and began herding the maniacs off the train like cattle.

I grabbed my neon green backpack and slung it lazily over my shoulder, after the surprisingly orderly crowd. Peering up at the humongous building, I instantly concluded that I didn't like it. It was a giant, gray, brick building, sort of resembling a castle. Except it had no windows and a thick black wall surrounding it, complete with barbed wire at its top. There was only one door that I could see, and there were two heavily armed guards at it. There was about three different floors and three different buildings that connected to the one, ginormous main structure.

The place was huge, and that made me uneasy. More space equals more psychopaths. But I had a job to do, so I walked in, the guards closing the door behind me and taking away my last glimpse of the free, bright horizon outside. My aunt came to greet us.

"Erica, Josie. It's about time you got here," she boomed with just a twinge of a German accent, "you're currently in the main lobby. This room is for gathering newcomers and transporting out the people who have passed. The building to the right is the patients' rooms, where you'll be spending most of your time. To the left is the cafeteria, where all patients who aren't completely insane eat, nurses as well. And behind is the patients' free time area, where it is _crucial _that they are watched closely. Your quarters are in the floors above. Any questions? No? Good."

Even if there was a question on my mind, she sauntered off before I could get one word out. My Aunt Jane was a very impatient and commanding person, though she didn't really look the part. She was tall (5 foot, 9 inches), but she was creepily thin and bony. I used to have the irrational fear that she was a witch, and that she would somehow hurt me, though now I know that was somewhat preposterous, yet had just a bit of truth in it. She usually wore dark-colored clothes, mainly black, which matched the long, stringy, tangled mess of hair on her head.

Josie smiled, apparently not taking offense to our aunt's harsh tone. "So... Let's go unpack our things and get situated, then tend to our patients! Race you!"

She giggled and sprang up the steps two at a time, causing her to run into a boy with multicolored black, red, and yellow spiky hair.

"Oh, sorry!" she smiled sweetly and looked at him, noticing his white uniform, "Oh, you're a nurse too!"

The boy smiled and nodded, then spoke in a deep and sort of royal voice, "Yes, I am Yami. You must be Josie," he looked back at me and waved, "and Erica. Come with me, I'll introduce you to the other nurses."

Josie bounded ahead of him and into a random room, which turned out to be the precise room we were supposed to follow him into. Inside was a girl and a boy, the boy resembling Yami, but much shorter.

"Hello!" my joyous sister called out.

"Hey..." I mumbled and starting walking back out.

"Oh, hi!" the girl said with a smile. I glanced at her. She had dark brown hair, glasses, and brown eyes. She appeared to be Hispanic, and she was wearing a nurse uniform, like the rest of us. She was an average height, thin, and she seemed very friendly and kind. Overall, I concluded she was very pretty and probably a good friend, yet someone I would easily be jealous of. But who was I to judge so quickly?

The boy called out a merry, "Hello!", then giggled softly. He was holding the girl's hand, so I assumed they were a couple.

"This is Diana and Yugi," Yami stated, pointing to them, then Josie and myself, "and this is Erica and Josie."

I waved and smiled slightly, then walked out and to my room. I wasn't exactly a pro at making friends...


	3. Marik, Or Is It Melvin?

**Author's Note: Chapter 3! Woo! I probably won't be able to update as often after today because of school. However, if some of you review or follow my story, I would most likely get inspired to write more and update as often as possible! So please give me your opinion on my story!**

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><p>Chapter 3: Marik. Or Is It Melvin?...<p>

Later, after I'd unpacked and was as settled as I could be, I went to about 6 different prisoner's rooms. They were all definitely not in their right minds, but none of them attacked or tried to hurt me. In fact, other than the one in the straitjacket, no one seemed violent in any way. However, my last patient was known for multiple murders, attempted murders, and many other inhumane things.

I took a deep breath and walked to Room 14-C. (There were floors A, B, and C, and each floor had 15 rooms, each complete with its own bathroom.) I used my nurse ID card to unlock the door, then cautiously walked inside.

"Marik?..." I looked around. My job was to (if needed) feed the patient, help them into the bathroom, get them whatever they required, and, most importantly, talk to them. Though I'm not too keen on talking and very much prefer to keep my mouth shut at all times, I love to listen. Hearing people's stories, finding out their background, who they are and who they used to be. It's always interested me how words can just flow together to make up someone's whole life. However, I'll admit that I was more than just a bit nervous about hearing a murderer's story...

"Over here!" His deep voice with the slight Egyptian accent snapped me out of my thoughts and brought me back to reality. I couldn't escape to my land of words and stories just yet. I looked over at him to find he was wearing a straitjacket and sitting on his bed. Well, at least I didn't have to worry about him hurting me.

"Oh... Hi. I'm your nurse, Erica," I walked over and sat on a comfy-looking chair beside his bed, "do you need anything?"

"Nah," he smiled at me," I ate on the train and don't need to use the restroom. So you can go."

"Actually, I can't," I replied sharply, feeling rather unwanted and defensive, "one of my job requirements is to talk to you for at least 15 minutes a day, whether I like it or not." I glanced at my watch. "It's been 2."

"Fine then," he slightly furrowed his brow, "what do we talk about?"

"How about we start by you explaining to me why you'd kill a plethora of innocent people!" By now, I was scowling.

He sighed and looked away. "You wouldn't believe me..."

"Try me."

Sighing again and looking down, he began his explanation, "I've never murdered anyone. My body has, I suppose, and I'll admit to enjoying some of the kills. But I've never committed one. There's this... this... this monster in me that takes over when I get angry. But it's not me, there's a person in my mind, a dark side, a yami. However, that confuses people, so I just refer to him as my brother. His name is Melvin. He kills, using my body."

I scoffed and was about to accuse him of being a complete liar, but then he looked up and at me. I saw two things in his eyes. Not anger, nor pride, nor happiness. I saw innocence. And pure sadness. It was this awful despair in his eyes, the kind that would make you feel sad yourself. It made you feel completely alone in the world, like no one knows about you or cares about you. Or worse, it could make you feel like everyone has a deep hatred for you.

"I... I believe you..." I didn't even realize i had spoken until I saw his beautiful chasms of lavender widen.

"Y-You do?!" He was suddenly sitting up straight and looking at me, completely in shock.

I stiffened and regained my composure. Just because I truly did trust him and felt tremendously bad for him didn't mean I'd be all friendly and fun.

Narrowing my eyes, I replied, "Yes, I do. But I can't report it. People would think I should be a patient here. And I can't thoroughly trust you either. Not with a murderer inside of you."

He nodded sadly and his eyes returned to the floor.

"I-I understand..." he said in a sorrowful voice.

I softened slightly and looked at him, "So how does Melvin take over?"

Marik glanced at me, then simply responded, "He just... does. He's extremely powerful and has a short temper. When he wants to come out, he takes over. Or when I get angry or confused."

I thought carefully about his words, running them through my mind. Though I tried to remain impartial, I couldn't help being curious. And I must say truthfully that something inside me wanted to help him. I concluded that, to find a way to rid him of his demonic brother, I had to talk to Melvin myself.

Although, when I was about to tell Marik my decision, I realized he was dozing off. I supposed it could wait until my next visit, so I stood and pulled the blankets over his body.

"Goodnight, Marik. I'll see you tomorrow."

For some reason, he smiled at my words and looked up at me, very close to falling asleep.

"Goodnight, my Erica..." he replied before lazily drifting off to sleep.

Strangely enough, I felt a light blush stain my cheeks as I exited his room. _Why had he referred to me possessively? Did he see me as his own? Why did I not mind him doing so? _The thoughts echoed in my head as I returned to my room.

As I changed into my pajamas, I decided to eject those thoughts and feelings from my mind, and instead wondered how Josie was doing. Her being 18, my aunt had allowed her to help more patients than me. And knowing how talkative she was, I guessed it'd be a few hours before she returned...


	4. King of Thieves or British Cream Puff?

**Author's Note: So I've got some followers on this story! YAY! Thanks so much! Anyway, I'm sorry I can't update as often, school gets in the way of my writing... But I will as often as I can! Oh, and remember this chapter is in Josie's POV!**

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><p>Chapter 4: King of Thieves or British Cream Puff?<p>

~ Josie's POV ~

"So you're actually three people?!" I shouted excitedly while having tea with the alleged King of Thieves. (But he just seems like a cute little British cream puff to me!)

"That's correct," he replied politely with a sweet smile.

Ryo had just told me ALL about himself and for once, I actually understood something. He explained that his magical ring-necklace thing had the souls of past thieves living in it who were capable of taking over his body. Also, they had committed the crimes, not him.

"I call them my 'brothers', though they aren't exactly brotherly..." he kinda grumbled that part, "Anyhow, yes, we're three completely different people all inhabiting the ring."

"That's so cool!" I squealed and giggled. Erica always said I trust too easily and should think things through more, but I like me just the way I am!

He smiled, slightly surprised, "No one has ever believed me before!"

"Well, I believe in lots of things! Ghosts, witches, goblins, zombies... You name it, I most likely think it's real! But I'd believe you more if you proved it..."

"I don't know... It's not very safe..." He looked nervous, maybe even a bit scared...

"Oh... I understand..."

I'll admit, I was more than a little disappointed. Having two built-in brothers sounded awesome! I wanted to know that he was being honest.

I think he noticed my disappointment, because he said suddenly, "Well... I suppose they could come out... But I'll warn you, they're both very dangerous and I can't gain control back easily."

"That's okay. I'm tough!" My disappointment was quickly replaced with excitement. I had so many questions...

"Well, I guess I'll see you later," he smiled worriedly, then took a deep breath as the thing he referred to as the "millennium ring" began to glow. I watched with anticipation and curiosity.

As the light from the shiny necklace became blinding, I shielded my eyes. After a few minutes, the light dimmed and, ever so carefully, I looked at the boy in front of me.

One thing I was sure of was that this was definitely a different person. No longer the small, pale Ryo, this boy was an exceptional amount taller, about an inch taller than me, so around 6 feet. He had shaggy, white hair that was sort of dirty, however still silky and pretty. He had bronze skin, so I guessed he was Egyptian, and beautiful purplish-blue eyes. He wore a pair of dirty, old blue jeans and a soft, velvety, red-and-gold-colored robe. Because he bore no shirt, I could see he was extremely muscular, with a perfect six-pack as an example. Overall, if I had to describe him in three words, the words would be sexy, stunning, and very enticing.

"Whoa," I murmured to myself, wide-eyed and gasping. I had probably said a couple of swear words as well, but I can't completely recall.

The boy, surprised to be willingly let out of the ring, looked towards me. I swore I saw a light blush sweep across his cheeks and his eyes widen, if only for a moment. But those traits were rapidly replaced by an arrogant smirk.

"Hey there, gorgeous..." he said in an Egyptian accent as he came closer, "What's your name?"

My eyes widened even more as he put his large and rough, but at the same time warm hands on my slender hips and pulled me closer to him. Although my mind was screeching at me to push him away and smack him, my body and heart actually liked his closeness. They liked him touching me and they liked the feeling and freshness of his sweet, vanilla-scented breath on my face.

"Uh... I-I'm Josie... Josie Hartman... I-I'm your nurse..." I stuttered while looking up at him and gulping visibly.

"Josie... Lovely name, my dear," he smirked and cupped my chin gently, "I have many names, but you can call me Akefia. I'm also called "King Thief", "Thief King", and simply "Bakura", but Akefia will do. So what's a knockout like you doing in a place like this?"

I blushed heavily and slightly trembled. Yet, as he wrapped his arms around my waist, I strangely felt comfortable in his iron grip. Oddly, his arms felt welcoming and warm, like that's where I belonged.

"M-My... uh... My aunt owns the place... My sister and I... had t-to work here..."

"I'm glad you did," he still wore that tantalizing smirk, "because if you didn't, I wouldn't have been able to do this..."

With that, he placed his left hand on the small of my back and his right hand on my cheek, pressing my body more against his.

"Um... What are you-" I was cut off by him pressing his lips against mine. My eyes widened, but, to my surprise, I felt myself begin to kiss him back. His lips were amazingly soft and felt made for mine, thus resulting in us moving in perfect sync.

My hands moved up and I tangled my fingers in his sleek hair, closing my eyes. Feeling him stiffen, I opened my eyes to look into his purplish ones. They were wide, and his hands were frozen in place. He pulled away abruptly and quickly muttered, "I-I have to go..."

As the ring started glowing again, I noticed his cheeks were stained a deep red. This increased my confusion. _He _was the one who had kissed _me_! Why did he freak out when I kissed back?

Snapping me out of my thoughts, Akefia transformed back into Ryo. The small albino blinked, then giggled.

"What? What is it? What's so funny?" I asked in ignorance, looking at him and furrowing my eyebrows.

"Hehe... That was his first kiss... I know he seems all tough and scary, but he's never kissed anyone before... Usually girls push him away or hit him, so he was really surprised that you actually liked him back. Hehe..." At that point, Ryo burst into a cute little fit of giggles at his brother's secret shyness.

_His first kiss? _I sort of zoned out and pondered this for a moment. _How could a guy that looks like him not have had his first kiss yet?_

"I, uh, should probably go..." I briskly began scrambling to the door.

"Oh, bye! I'll see you tomorrow!" Ryo laughed, "Akefia says goodbye, too! Hehe..."

"O-Oh," I blushed and shyly smiled, "Tell him I said bye! And... And that he was my first kiss, too..."

After that, I bolted out of the room and ran to the one I shared with my younger sister. Once I entered, I slammed the door shut and sighed in relief.

Erica, who had been calmly writing in her journal, glanced up at me. "Well, how did it go, Jo?" She used my nickname before returning her gaze to her small blue notebook.

"It went... well. Very well..." I smiled at the recent memory and touched my lips, reminiscing the feeling of his pressed against them. And I didn't stop smiling all night.

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><p><strong>I'd just like to point out that I know Josie can sometimes come off as a bit of an air-head... But that sort of masks her hidden cleverness and intelligence, because she's very smart when it matters. Also, I'd say it's truly innocence or naiveness, not dumbness. Josie is sort of... misunderstood. Anyway, please tell me what you think of her and the story!<strong>


	5. Misunderstood

**Author's Note: Okay. I typed this once already, and it got deleted. Second time's the charm! **

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><p>Chapter 5: Misunderstood<p>

Erica's POV

After a long night of restless sleep, it was time to go about my duties again. As I changed into my white skirt, white button-up shirt, red apron, and red converse, I thought about the tasks before me. Because today was a full day, I'd have to have breakfast and lunch with my patients, watch them during their free time, then do my individual checkups on them.

So my schedule for the day started at 8;30, when all patients who weren't labeled as highly dangerous reported to the cafeteria for breakfast. The highly dangerous ones had to be fed by their nurses. From 9:30 to 12, the clients got free time to play sports or buy things from the stores with money they earned from working in the cafeteria, the store itself, or were sent by their family. At noon, it was time for lunch. Then at 1:00, nurses began their checkups. However, at 7, our jobs were finished and we had our own time, unless a patient specially requested our presence.

So now, I was getting ready to go to breakfast. Unlike the patients, I only had 45 minutes to eat, then I had to go and feed 2 of the other patients that were in straitjackets. Ergo, I sat with Josie and watched our clients. I noticed she was blushing a bit every time she looked at Ryo. Something inside me was angered by this. However, I had to keep my cool, so she didn't suspect jealousy.

"Uh… So… you and Ryo?... Isn't he just a bit young for you?..." I looked at her, trying to keep the venom out of my voice.

Her head snapped to my direction and she blinked, then confusingly replied, "Ryo? What? No offense, but he is sort of…" she glanced at him, "childish. I'd never go out with him. Why would you even suggest-" She stopped abruptly and her eyes widened in realization. I assumed she'd figured out I'd seen her blushing.

Her voice changed to a hushed whisper, and she said quickly, "I have a BIG secret, but you can't tell anyone! I'll have to tell you later, but it has nothing to do with Ryo himself." She smiled and nodded, then rapidly ran off. Though I was beyond curious, I did have patients to attend to.

Just as I was about to go to the first patient, my phone rang out loudly. I slightly slowed my pace and answered it.

"Hello?" It was a number I didn't recognize, but I had presumed it was my aunt.

"Erica," a German-laced voice replied, "one of your patients has been taken away. Deemed on the verge of death. Therefore, you now only have one straitjacket prisoner. That is all." And she hung up.

Well, it was definitely Aunt Jane. But one of my patients was about to die?... That thought hit me like a bullet straight through my heart, and my eyes widened. I began speed-walking to room 14-C, my pulse quickening with each step. I murmured to myself as I broke into a sprint.

"Please don't let it be Marik… Please…" I burst through the door, already on the verge of tears.

"Marik!" I looked around frantically, but I didn't see him. I covered my face with trembling hands and let the tears flow down my cheeks silently. I don't know why I cared for him so much, I'd only met him once. And yet, here I was, bawling in an empty room. Or so I thought.

"Erica?... Are you crying?..." I heard the Egyptian accent before I even absorbed his words.

"Marik!" I turned and saw him standing near the bathroom, still wearing the bland, beige straitjacket. Not even thinking about my actions, I rapidly darted across the room and hugged him tightly.

"Uh… Yeah… Are you okay?" He looked down at me and I nodded. Finally realizing my current situation, I quickly released him and wipes my tears away, blushing in embarrassment.

"Y-yeah… I'm fine… Sorry about that…"

He laughed and looked at me. "No problem. I'd have hugged you back, but… well, I can't." The Egyptian glanced down at himself.

"Oh… Right…" I studied him carefully and bit my lip. Contemplating the last 5 minutes, I decided I must trust him. I wouldn't have been so worried about him if I didn't. So I made a possibly stupid decision and took out a small, shiny, bronze-colored key shaped like a heart at the end. "Here…"

I moved slowly and carefully, putting the key in and unlocking the locks lining his stomach and back.

"You're… letting me take it off?" he looked at me like I was the insane one, then smiled happily, "Oh, thank you!"

With that, he returned our previous hug and held me close. I blushed as I slowly hugged him back, knowing I was breaking one of my aunt's rules, but not caring.

"So…" he slowly released me, then sat on his bed.

I sat beside him and took a deep breath, trying to calm down my nervousness.

"Well… Uh… I think… I think I should speak with Melvin." I nodded, more to myself than him, remembering my train of thought.

"WHAT?!" he suddenly leaped onto me, pinning me down on the bed, his eyes wide, "NO! No, no, no! You can't do that! He'll hurt you! Or worse!"

Ignoring the redness radiating off my face, I replied, "Marik, I need to. How else am I supposed to figure everything out?"

"I don't know! But no talking to him, okay?!" All of a sudden, Marik grabbed his head and groaned loudly. He fell onto the bed beside me and shut his eyes tightly, as if he were in extreme pain.

"Marik?! What's wrong?!" I sat up quickly and pulled him closer, gently wrapping my arms around him.

"He's… coming…" he struggled to get the words out as a strange symbol began to glow on his forehead. I'm positive he grew at least a foot, and his hair began to shoot up in gravity-defying spikes. His already muscular body became even more brawny, and he slowly began to laugh in a psychotic way.

"Now Marik, the girl wants what she wants. Don't deprive her of me." His voice was extremely deep, and sounded more like many voices talking at once. It was demonic and stomach-wrenching, and his chuckle was even worse.

"Uh," I gulped, "y-you're Melvin?..."

He looked at me in mock hurt. "What? Am I not good enough for you?" he smirked, "Sorry lovely, but you were the one who requested my presence, not the other way around."

"I-I… You're right." I scowled at him. Just because he was scary and a killer didn't mean he had the right to know I was terrified.

"Oh, a fiery one, are you?" he chuckled and laid back on the bed, "Haven't seen someone like you in a LONG time…" He placed his arms behind his head and looked at me.

"My name is Erica," I said as I frowned angrily, "I'm Marik's nurse at this insane asylum. The one that YOU caused him to be admitted into! Why would you ever kill someone?!"

I was clenching my fists and seething, wondering how anyone could be so heartless and cruel. He looked at me and shrugged simply, bored expression on his face. This only increased my rage towards him.

"Easy. It's what I was made to do. I was created out of Marik's hatred and anger, I even killed his father. I'm his dark, he's my light. If I was made from his love and happiness, maybe I'd actually be loving and caring. But I was designed to hate, to kill. What else am I supposed to do?"

There was something about the way he said it, the hidden vulnerability in his voice… It made me understand. He couldn't do anything else. It was like a nurse trying to do an electrician's job. They couldn't. It's not what they had been made for. Like Melvin was made to kill and murder, not love.

However, it also made me think about how it was possible to teach a nurse to be an electrician, if the nurse was willing to learn. So maybe if Melvin was willing to love and care, I could teach him.

Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed him staring at me. Or him slowly rising into a sitting position. In fact, I hadn't really remembered he was there at all until I felt his large hand on my cheek.

"I… I'm willing to learn…" he whispered as his violet eyes bore into mine.

So he could read minds or something? Or had I been talking out loud? To be perfectly honest, I couldn't remember at all. But I knew that, right now, he was opening up to me. And judging from Marik's previous behavior, I was guessing this was out of the ordinary.

"Oh… um… Alright… I guess we could start by figuring out someone you love… Do you have any family members you care for?..."

"Hm…" his face took on a thoughtful expression and he removed his hand from my cheek. I do admit, I had wished he'd kept it there…

"Well, I suppose I share a family with Marik. His parents are both dead, and I doubt they would've liked me anyway. His sister and brother are okay, I guess. But I wouldn't exactly say I care about them."

I thought for a moment, then responded, "What about Marik?"

Melvin's face took on a slightly surprised expression, and he stayed quiet for a while. "I… I guess I do care about him, now that I think about it. He is my little brother, in a way."

"Well, there you go," I smiled, "now we just have to teach you to love other people as well. And I guess that starts with trusting people. Do you trust me?"

This time, I noticed, he didn't even have to ponder his answer. "Yes, I do. I trust you with Marik's and my own well-being here." He nodded and my smile broadened.

"Great! So now you just have to-"

I was interrupted by his massive hand covering my mouth. I squeaked and tried to lick his hand to get him to move it, but he didn't seem fazed at all.

"Hold on. I first have a question for you. Do you trust me?"

I blinked. His question surprised me, to say the least. I sort of thought he was joking, but one look at his face told me he was completely serious. Something about him looked secretly lonely, and maybe even a bit hurt. I knew he'd be able to tell if I was lying, and that it'd hurt him even more if I tried to.

So the question remained. Did I trust him? Could I truly ever trust a murderer, someone who'd killed dozens of people without even feeling the slightest bit sad? It seemed crazy to be able to say I could, and yet, I was unable to say I didn't trust him. Somewhere deep inside of me, I knew I trusted him, at least a bit.

I sighed, then gazed straight into those troubled eyes of his and answered honestly, "I don't know. I seriously don't. I feel like I shouldn't, but I think I do. I'm just… unsure."

I bit my lip, fearing he might be angered by my words. However, my answer seemed to be just the one he was looking for.

"Very well," he nodded and went back to his relaxed, laying down position, losing all of his earlier openness, "so now what do we do? Find me a lover? Because, you know, you'd fit the job pretty well, lovely…"

His infamous smirk returned and he eyed me, enjoying the blush that instantly bounced off my face.

"What?! No way! I-I don't like you like that!" I felt more than a bit self-conscious and glanced at the clock, "Oh, look at the time, I must be going!"

It was true that I had to leave, it was 10:38 and lunch would be coming soon, not to mention I had some paperwork to fill out. But I would've left anyway. I couldn't let him fluster me more, oh no, that would make me start thinking things that I hadn't thought about in ages.

Yet, I couldn't get him out of my bizarre mind the rest of the morning…

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Hey guys! Long time, no see! I apologize for my extreme inactive tendency... SORRY! Since it's the end of the year, there's a LOT of projects and tests at school, so I've had to cut back on writing. But I HAVE NOT QUIT! I promise THIS story will be updated by the end of the week, and possibly Courageous, too! Thanks, guys! Goodbye~<strong>


	6. The Trouble With Josie

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I am SOOOOO sorry! It's been forever! But I'm out of school now and should be able to write more often now! So here it is, Chapter 6! And remember, it's in Josie's POV. **

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><p>Chapter 6: "The Trouble With Josie"<p>

Josie's POV

It was 5:54, and I'd already had lunch and checked on most of my patients. Except the one (well, technically, three) I wanted to see most! Ryo Bakura, Room 4A. Thinking about everything for hours, I realized I did have a massive crush on Akefia. But I was a bit nervous… He had pulled away from the kiss rather quickly… Perhaps Ryo was wrong. Maybe it wasn't in surprise, but in disgust.

As I unlocked the door and made my way in, I saw that Ryo was laying on his bed with a thick book, giggling sweetly at that moment. I smiled and let the door close, purposely making noise so my presence was revealed to him.

He glanced up from the book and smiled, "Nurse Josie! I'm glad you're back, Akefia and I missed you!"

I blushed lightly at the mention of Akefia's name and sat on the bed beside Ryo, "I missed you guys, too… So, you need anything?"

"Um… I don't think-," he was interrupted by the ring glowing again, "Oh, I guess Akefia wants to see you!"

He laughed softly before once again changing into the attractive boy whose simple presence made my heart leap. Akefia. I'm guessing the tall Egyptian didn't know he would be taking over, because his face was tainted a deep crimson and he was yelling at the ring.

"B-Bakura! I told you I didn't want to-" he stopped when he saw me and shyly smiled, "Oh, h-hey Josie…"

A faint blush graced my cheeks, and I smiled back, then scooted a bit closer to him and shyly waved, slightly resembling a small child waving to a first crush on the first day of school. "Hey A-Akefia…"

Hiding my brilliant, scarlet face with my pristine white hair, I didn't see him moving closer to me.

"S-so… You, um… You're… a good kisser…" He nodded and looked at me, smiling and scooting even closer.

"Thank you," I replied while keeping my face covered, "you're a REALLY good kisser…" I heard him laugh softly and finally felt his side press against mine. I glanced up at him in surprise, only then realizing his face was mere centimeters from mine.

"Um, Josie? I, uh… I sort of n-need to ask you something…" As he spoke, he slowly began to lean in closer and tilt his head slightly.

Blushing madly, I decided to just let my heart win the battle that was currently raging between my mind and heart. And my heart said to lean in closer as well. So I did.

"Yes, Akefia?..." To my own surprise, my voice didn't sound trembly or nervous. It sounded confident and steady.

My heart, however, was beating a million miles a minute, and I could feel moisture on my palms. I half-hoped he was secretly as nervous as me and half-hoped he wasn't.

"W-would you… um… Would you… be my girlfriend?"

I blinked. Nope, I didn't scream in joy or jump happily or hug him or anything. I blinked. Yes, I was slightly in shock. No guy that was as attractive as Akefia had ever asked me out before. But I think my surprise was mistaken for hesitation, for he cleared his throat in embarrassment and looked away.

"I-I mean, you don't have to, of course…"

That's when my brain finally decided to properly function. I jumped and instinctively took his hands. "Of course I'll be your girlfriend! Duh!" Before I even thought about my actions, I jerked forward and felt my lips press against his.

His eyes widened and he blushed a deep, deep red. I began to grow nervous and fear I'd made a mistake, but then I felt a smile creep onto his soft lips. I saw him close his eyes, so I followed his lead.

Now, I could go into specific detail about just how grand, spectacular, and magnificent our first kiss was, but instead I'll tell you that it didn't even compare to our current kiss. His lips were as soft as the fluffiest clouds in the sky. His mouth tasted of vanilla, and as sweet as the sugar cookies a grandmother makes for her favorite grandchild. His hands, which were much larger than mine and currently roaming my sides, left a tingly, magical feeling on my pale skin. His aura was loving and somehow familiar, and I never wanted to leave that moment. Sadly, however, that was a wish that wouldn't come true.

At that exact moment, the door swung open, slamming against the wall and making a loud, cracking noise. There had been no knock, no indication that someone was coming in. Luckily, there wasn't anyone that I would worry about seeing Akefia and I. Anyone, that is, except the person that was seething at the doorway.

"Josie Paige Hartman!" My Aunt Jane, usually pale and deathly, was now a bright, fuming red and completely alive. Her yellow, rotting teeth were clamped together so tightly, I was sure they were about to chip and crack. Small, yet powerful hands were clenched into fists at her sides, and I noticed her fingernails were tearing open the skin on her palms.

I quickly broke away from Akefia and jumped up, wide-eyed. "A-Aunt Jane!" Akefia must've sensed the danger that lurked within my raging aunt, because he was up and at my side in a second, his arm protectively wrapped around my waist.

"Get your filthy hands off of my wretched niece!" My aunt was not a large person, but she was no weakling. She instantly darted across the room and snatched me away from Akefia. His eyes glimmered with anger and he growled, clenching his own fists.

"Josie!"

"Akefia!" Although my aunt was incredibly strong, we both knew I was much stronger. I was stronger than most, maybe even Akefia. But we also both knew that, if I tried to get away, my aunt would make me pay for the rest of my life. So I could do nothing except look at Akefia with sorrow as my aunt began forcibly dragging me out of the room. "A-Akefia…"

Once we were out and Aunt Jane had shut and lock the door, Akefia pounding on it and yelling, she threw me against the wall and onto the ground. I groaned and rubbed my head, yet held my tongue, knowing my punishment could be much worse.

Though I could tell my merciless aunt was still furious, she regained her threateningly calm exterior. "I will tell you your punishment later, young lady. I cannot send you home, for I told your parents I would keep you all summer. But, mark my words," she came closer and her expression grew dark and wicked, "you won't be seeing that boy ever again." With that, she straightened her posture and strode off down the hall.

What did she mean by that? I knew my aunt, and I knew what she was willing to do. I feared terribly that she would hurt Akefia. But I was so grief-stricken by her words and the thought of losing a boy I'd so quickly grown attached to, that I couldn't think of a thing to do. So I regrettably did the only thing I could. I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them, curling up in a tight ball. And I began to sob.

If only I had seen my aunt stop to talk to my sister at the end of the hall…

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><p><strong>That's it! What's Josie's punishment? What will Aunt Jane do to Akefia? How's Erica involved? Find out next chapter! Which will be up sooner than this one was, I PROMISE.<strong>


	7. Meet Bakura, Heartless Murderer

**Author's Note: Here you go, guys! I was hoping to make this chapter a bit more violent and show one of the character's merciless side... **

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><p>Chapter 7:<p>

~Erica's POV~

New patient? That was one of the many thoughts on my mind at that moment. I had been casually walking down the hallway to get to my next patient when my aunt stopped me in the middle of the corridor. She had said only three short sentences. "Erica, following recent events, I had discovered that you are the only one that is responsible enough to handle this job. Therefore, you're gaining another patient. Ryo Bakura, room 4A." With that, she walked off.

For some reason, I was thrilled at the thought of caring for Ryo. But he was Josie's patient, why was he mine now? And what did Aunt Jane mean when she said that I was the only responsible one? Also, what was that secret Josie was hiding from everyone? I really needed to talk to my sister…

Fortunately, she was the next person I saw. However, it was no happy reunion, for her face was tear-streaked and she was curled up against the wall, like a child who'd been betrayed by her best friend. Immediately, I ran to her side and kneeled next to her.

"Josie! What happened? Why are you crying?" Normally, it's a common sight to see someone cry. But that wasn't true for my cheerful sister. The last time I had seen Josie cry was when she was 10 and got a bloody nose while trying to protect me from a bully. And even then, she'd only teared up for a few seconds. Josie was tougher than the strongest man alive and always optimistic. She never cried. But now she was bawling and barely able to speak.

"A-Aunt Jane t-t-took away Akefia…" She sniffled and burst into a new round of whimpers and tears. I hadn't the slightest idea who this "Akefia" was, but he must have meant an awful lot to her. So instead of questioning her, I hugged her and sat with her until her cries subsided and she was able to stand without trembling.

"So… You wanna tell me who Akefia is?" I walked her back to our room and helped her into bed. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was 6:50. Josie and I had both finished our checkups, so we had free time. And it seemed all of our time would be taken up by crying and explanations. I looked at Josie as I sat on my own bed.

She looked at me sheepishly and spoke softly. "H-he… He… He was my first kiss…" Even through the tears on her cheeks, I could see a light red beginning to glow on her face. I knew she was miserable right now, but I couldn't pass up on the opportunity to tease her.

"Well, finally!" I laughed softly, "I thought you'd never settle for someone!" She smiled a bit and her blush grew brighter, and she even giggled softly.

"Oh, there was no settling done. Akefia is WAY out of my league." I rolled my eyes and smiled. Trust me, there wasn't anyone out of Josie's league; she was beautiful. But she liked to think she wasn't.

She went on to explain to me that Akefia was Ryo's "brother". It was similar to the Marik and Melvin situation, which I also told her about. After that, she told me her whole story about her first kiss and how much she already liked him. And about her second kiss and how it was ruined by our aunt. At that point, she burst into tears once again.

"E-Erica, I can't stay away from him! I-I think I love him!" She looked at me with an expression of utter despair. I bit my lip and thought, then sighed and looked at her.

"Jo, you know I'm a goody-two-shoes and don't like to disobey orders. But because this boy means so much to you… I'll help you. Aunt Jane assigned Ryo to me now that you got in trouble. And I know that everyday, at 8:00 sharp, Aunt Jane personally goes and checks to make sure each patient's door is locked. Since our key cards can only open our own patients' doors, I'll give mine to you at around 8:30. Then you can sneak up there and unlock the door, then have your time with Akefia." I smiled and laid down in my bed. "But not tonight. She'll expect it tonight. We'll try it tomorrow. And I'll explain everything to Akefia while doing my checkups." I looked at her for her opinion, but the only response I received was a blank stare. "Uh… Josie?"

She blinked, then smiled. "That's the most I've ever heard you talk at one time…" She giggled. "And that's why you're a straight-A student! My little sister's a genius!" I laughed and shook my head, then sat up.

"It wasn't exactly NASA quality, Jo. Now go to sleep." I turned out the lights and got under my blankets. She complied for all of about 10 seconds before she turned the lights on again.

"Wait a minute, it's only 9 o'clock! Josie doesn't go to bed at 9 o'clock!" She laughed and sat up, then pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "How about you talk about that Marik person?"

That caught my attention. I bolted up and looked at her. "Okay, how do you know about my patient and what do you want me to say about him?" She rolled her eyes and stood up, smiling the way older sisters do.

"Oh, c'mon Erica, I read your journal whenever I can! You wrote a story about a 'handsome, caring prince' named Marik, and, according to your files, you have a patient named Marik. You have a crush, don't you?!" She squealed and threw a pillow at me.

I groaned and blushed. This wasn't the first time she'd read my journal, I was used to it by now. "Josie! Stay out of my stuff!"

"I'm not a hearing a no…" She sung her words and giggled, then looked at me, "Though, I really think you'd be good with Ryo. I can't judge because I haven't met Marik, but you and Ryo are both quiet and nerdy. You'd be good with him." She smiled as I threw the pillow back at her face.

"Josie! I'm single! No one likes me!"

"What about 'King Melvin'?" She smirked. So she'd read that part, too…

"Good night, Josie!" I turned the lights out again as my face began to heat up. I heard her chuckle and lay down. I blushed more and buried my face in the pillow. But, as I began to drift off to sleep, the only thoughts that danced through my mind were of Marik and Melvin. And Ryo…

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><p><strong>The Next Day...<strong>

I woke up the next morning and looked at the clock. 7:00. I groaned and sat up. Smacking Josie as I walked into the bathroom, she jumped up.

"Akefia!"

I smiled as I brushed my teeth. "Gee, I wonder who you dreamt about…"

She giggled and stood up. "Oh, shut up!"

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. My patients were all well-behaved at breakfast and during their free time. Though Melvin didn't come out at all, Marik and I told each other about our pasts and just random things. And he then began to tell me how Melvin was looking through some books to find a way to give each of them their own bodies. He said that Melvin wasn't having too much luck, but he wouldn't give up. I pondered this as I walked to Ryo's room.

"Hm… If Melvin finds a way to give him his own body, then Akefia, Ryo, and their other brother could probably get their own bodies, too… I should tell them about that." I unlocked the door and walked in, expecting to see either a tall Egyptian or a shy, cute albino. But what I saw was a boy that looked like a combination of both. He had long white hair, like Ryo, yet his was more spiky and not as fluffy. He was a bit taller than Ryo, yet shorter than Josie. His eyes were brown, but they were narrower than Ryo's and therefore gave him a more wicked look. He was scowling and stabbing the pillow with something. It appeared to be the arm of the wooden chair, yet sharpened.

"Oh, uh, hello…" I walked in and slowly closed the door behind me. The boy looked up and paused his stabbing, then smirked.

"Why, hello there…" He had a British accent like Ryo, yet his was rougher and thicker. His voice was coarse and deep. He stood and walked over to me, the top of my head coming to his eyes.

"Um…" I gulped and took a step back, looking up into his eyes. I saw nothing but pure evil in them. Well, there was a bit of something else in there, but I couldn't quite place it. "I-I'm your nurse, Erica…" I glanced down at the wooden stake he possessed. He followed my eyes and chuckled.

"Oh, pay no mind to that. Just something I do in my free time…" He tossed it onto the bed and I felt a bit safer. But upon speculating his muscular build, my fear quickly deepened. "I'm Bakura. The middle brother. And the real reason we're here." He smirked proudly and folded his arms. I frowned at him and placed my hands on my hips.

"You're proud? That's horrible. How could you be proud of ending someone's life? And how could you be proud of getting your innocent brothers in here?! You heartless thief!"

He growled slightly at my outburst and scowled at me. But I wasn't going to back down, no matter how scared I felt. I was angry at most of these criminals already, but the fact that he was proud about his murderous ways pushed my anger into rage. He didn't exactly seem happy either, though… "Look, I don't know who you think you are, little girl, but-"

"I'm your nurse! Actually, I'm your innocent little brother's nurse! I don't know what you had to have thought when you murdered someone, but then to go and let your little brother take the blame for it?! AND be proud about it? You're a monster. A sick, cruel monster. You must have been born without a heart, because no humane person would ever do that!"

His eyes widened in fury and he sprang forward, his hands jerking up to my neck and grabbing it forcefully. My own eyes widened in fear and shock, realizing he was beginning to press down on my trachea and cut off my airway.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about me…" His voice was spewing venom and he was coming closer, pressing down harder. I gasped for air, but found none. There was a burning sensation in my throat and I trembled, not being able to see anything except the hatred in his eyes. His voice was commanding and deadly. "You don't know what I've been through, and you don't know what people have done to me! You don't know me! Think before you speak, you stupid girl! You don't even know how easily I'm going to kill you…" With that, he smiled wickedly and lifted me off the ground by nothing except my neck. I clawed at his fingers and tried to escape his grasp, but to no avail. He was much stronger than I was, and all the breath I had was leaving my lungs. My sight began to grow fuzzy and black, and my lungs and throat ached and burned as if I'd breathed in fire. I could no longer communicate and my eyes began to close as the last bit of air left me. I gasped out two final words.

"I-I'm… S… s… s-sorry…" The feeling in my body was dissipating and everything was going numb, until I felt the grasp on my neck loosen, then completely disappear. I fell to the ground, landing roughly on my back but not caring, for I instantly gasped and took in a deep breath of sweet, fresh air. I rested limply on the ground as I heard a thud, and felt a presence beside me. I weakly opened my eyes and looked to my right, seeing a familiar pair of big, brown, tear-filled eyes looking at me sadly.

"I'm so sorry about t-that, E-Erica…" Ryo was back and almost as weak as me, "Oh, I-I could never live with myself if he had actually managed to kill-" At this point, he choked up and burst into tears. I smiled feebly and looked at him.

"It's o-okay, Ryo… It wasn't y-your fault…"

He sniffled and nodded, then weakly took one of my hands. "W-we both need to rest, Erica. But I don't think either of us can make it to the bed…" It was then my turn to nod, and I let my eyes close, voluntarily this time. And that's where we laid for another few hours, never letting go of each other's hand.

I just hoped greatly that Ryo could keep control. And, more importantly, that Bakura wouldn't try to kill me in my sleep…

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><p><strong>I hope you guys liked that one! And I really appreciate you guys' comments, so PLEASE REVIEW! XD Bye!<strong>


	8. Melvin's Discovery

**Here's the newest chapter guys! I'm hoping there's at least one person out there who's actually reading this story. I'm sorry for its awfulness, but it's the best I can do, okay?! XD But seriously though, I'm not the best writer and I apologize if this story is horrid. And it'd _really _help me out if you guys reviewed... _Please._****But anyway, here's the next chapter!**

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><p>Chapter 8: Melvin's Discovery<p>

Erica's POV

"_Why are you doing this?!" Huh? Whose voice was that? I looked around. Where was I? And… what was I wearing? There weren't any shoes on my feet, which wasn't completely abnormal. What was strange was the weird, flowing, bright white dress that was cascading down my body. I furrowed my eyebrows. I don't own a dress, much less one like this. I looked around again. The landscape in front of me was black, with no color at all. The floors, the walls, the ceiling, the hallway: all colorless. And not only was all color absent, all of _anything _was absent. There was no furniture, no lights, no doors, no anything. So I was in an empty, colorless building with no recollection of how or why I was there. Although any sane person would probably start looking for an exit, the curiosity within the depths of my mind compelled me to search for a person. Who was that person I was looking for? I don't know. But my bare feet began to take steps down the abandoned corridor and around the corner. That's when I heard the voice again. Only now, I could clearly make out that this voice was distressed and raspy. And… familiar. "Please! Stop! You're hurting me!" Yes, very familiar. But I couldn't place it. I was certain I had heard the voice several times throughout my life, as if it belonged it a sibling or parent. However, I knew that voice wasn't Josie's, nor my mom or dad's. So whose was it? I walked closer, following the sound of the voice. As I pressed on, the voice became louder and more desperate for help. I also noted that whoever the owner of the mysterious voice was, he or she was crying. "Please! I-it hurts! S-stop!" I began to run. Whoever this person was, they needed my help. And finally, I came to a door. A door that had no color, but a door nonetheless. And I could hear clearly the frantic voice through the door. But now, being as close as I was, I could also hear a low, demonic chuckle near the voice. I bit my lip. Something gruesome was happening behind that door, and I didn't want to know what. Yet… I had to go in, someone was in danger. After summoning up all the courage I possessed, I quietly opened the door. And as soon as I did, not only did I feel like a complete imbecile, but I felt nauseous and light-headed. In the room, I saw that the chuckle belonged to Bakura, and that he had many weapons and devices with him. But the sickening part lay on the table beside him. There, on the table, was a girl. A teenager, brown hair, brown eyes, being tortured. Her body was ripped and cut and shredded in many places. Her bloody body was torn apart severely, and I could barely see any tan where her once supple skin was. The worst part was, she was still alive. Her eyes were open, and her breath was faint and barely existent, warm tears rushing down her blood-spattered cheeks. And that's where the imbecile feeling came in. Simply glancing at this girl, I instantly realized whose voice it was and where the familiarity was. _

_Because that poor soul on the table, the girl crying her eyes out while being tortured… was me. _

I woke up screaming. Instantly sitting up, I felt the uncomforting warmth behind my eyes and braced myself for the tears to begin rolling down my cheeks. I was trembling and curling up without even thinking about doing so. I buried my face into my knees and whimpered, until I felt two gentle arms wrap around me and hold me close in a soft embrace. I sniffled and looked up to see two kind brown eyes looking at me with concern.

"Erica?... Are you alright?..."

I stared at him a bit longer, then straightened my posture and coughed a few times, putting on a mask of tranquility. I couldn't let my guard down, now that I knew how willing and capable someone here was of hurting me. If Bakura was willing to hurt me, who knows what he'd do if he found out it'd sadden me even more if he hurt Marik or Ryo?

"I-I'm fine, Ryo… Thanks… H-how did I get in the bed?"

He looked at me with disbelief for a few seconds before letting it go and answering, "Oh, I woke up about 10 minutes ago. Since my strength had returned, I put you in the bed. Is that okay?" He bit his lip nervously and looked at me.

I laughed softly and looked at him. "Of course, silly…" He smiled sweetly and scratched the back of his neck, his face turning a bit pink. I smiled at him, then looked at the clock and jumped up, wide-eyed. "Crap! I didn't mean to sleep this long! Josie!"

"Yes?" I looked over at the chair in the corner of the room, which was missing one of its arms. I looked past that to see my sister sitting on it, a happy smile spread across her lips. Her legs were crossed casually, and she even had a cup of tea. My jaw fell open in surprise, and I stared at her in confusion. Before I began stammering out questions, she laughed and answered them. "Well, you didn't come back to our room, and I got sorta worried, so I snuck up here. After knocking on the door and whispering, Ryo heard me, and we talked through the door. I told him our plan, and he found your keycard and slipped it under the door. After that, obviously, I was able to enter. I let him stay here, though, 'cause he said he wanted to take care of you." She smiled teasingly and drew a heart in the air with her fingers. I threw a blanket at her as my eyes widened, and my face grew red. I glanced at Ryo to see his face was an even darker crimson than mine was.

He giggled nervously and looked at me. "I-I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt, that's all! I-I would've done it for anyone!" I felt the butterflies in my stomach flutter away and I looked down in slight sadness.

"O-oh… Well, I'm fine, don't worry…" I stood up and leaned against the wall, still looking down. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smack himself in the face and groan quietly, blushing madly. I glanced at my sister. She was shaking her head in disappointment and looking at Ryo. I took a deep breath and partially convinced myself I didn't care what Ryo did, then peered over at him and attempted to change the subject. "So… Um, Ryo? I have these two other patients that have a situation similar to yours, Akefia's, and… Bakura's…" I shuddered as I said his name, then continued, "Uh, Marik and Melvin Ishtar. And they-"

"Oh, Marik and Melvin?" He smiled happily, then his smile faltered a little, "Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting… I-I just wanted to say we know Marik and Melvin… S-Sorry…"

I looked at him and smiled, "Oh, that's okay! You know them? Great, then I don't have to explain everything… Anyway, Melvin's been trying to figure out a way to make him and Marik two separate people. I just figured you and Akefia would like to know." I nodded and thought for a moment, then continued, "Actually, I'll go check on them now." I started walking out, then heard a ruckus behind me that sounded a little like… Josie pushing Ryo off the bed. Which is exactly what it was.

"Bugger! Oh, Josie…" I turned around to see Ryo rubbing his elbow and getting off the floor, looking at me and blushing heavily. "Oh, um! I-I just wanted to say… uh… Tell… them… I said hi?..." He smiled nervously and nodded before Josie elbowed him in the ribs. He squeaked before quietly adding, "A-and… um, Erica? I-I… I really do care about you… A lot…" With that, he squeaked again and frantically shook the ring, making it glow brightly and causing Akefia to take over. Josie rolled her eyes and laughed, then looked at Akefia shyly.

I blushed lightly and continued to walk out. As I walked down a few flights of stairs, I realized I couldn't get Ryo's little blush or his nervous giggle out of my head. I paused as I came to the last step and sat on it, resting my head in my hands. "I came here to take care of crazy people, and instead _I'm _the one who's losing my mind…" I sighed and rubbed my eyes tiredly, then began to laugh softly. "Erica Hartman, you, of all people, are letting boys get to you… Gosh, if this is what jobs do to you, then I do NOT want to grow up…" I stood once more and began my trek down the hallway, only to realize I'd forgotten my keycard in Ryo's room. I glanced at the stairs. "Ugh… Great… Well, I'll let them know I'll be coming in. Hopefully they'll take the hint and be… decent." As I tried to erase that image from my mind, I knocked softly on Marik's door and whispered, "Marik? Melvin? It's me, Erica… I left my keycard in another patient's room, but I'll be back soon…" However, as I turned to leave, the door opened behind me. "Huh?..." I turned and slowly walked in.

What I saw next was not something I expected. Melvin was standing by the door, a very old book in his hands. But the surprising part was, I also saw Marik, sitting on the bed. They both waved and spoke in unison. "Hey Erica." Acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Melvin looked at me and said, "You seem a bit surprised, lovely. Didn't think I was intelligent enough to figure this out?" He chuckled and smirked, "Oh, foolish girl… Psychopaths are usually much smarter than average people. But that intelligence is what the normal people mistake for craziness. And if I can figure out a spell to give me my own body, I think I can figure out one to open a mere locked door." He smiled psychotically, and his eyes lit up in a maniacal way. I smiled and nodded nervously, slowly inching closer to Marik.

"I just thought… um… i-it'd take some time…" Marik smiled and stood beside me protectively, looking at me.

"Oh, ignore him, Erica. Melvin's dangerous, but there are a special few people he'd never purposely hurt. And you're one of those people. And so am I!" He grinned proudly, then laughed and rolled his eyes, "He'd never admit it, but he's got a big crush on you…" My eyes widened. A psychopathic murderer had a crush on me? I glanced at Melvin. His own eyes were wide and he was glaring at Marik, yet, once he saw me, he regained his cool exterior and smirked, examining my body closely.

"He's right, my lovely little Erica… You're just irresistible." He began to laugh loudly, and my eyes widened more, a blush creeping onto my face. Of course, when I finally admit to crushing on two sweet, cute boys, one of their demonic older brothers is the one that falls for me. And I didn't like Melvin… I didn't…

"So!" I blushed more and tried to shove those stupid butterflies back down my throat. "How did you do it, Melvin? Get your own body, I mean?"

He shrugged and began to flip through the book. "Oh, ancient Egyptian spells, dark magic, things you wouldn't understand…"

I scowled. "Hey, I could understa-" I stopped when I saw an amused smirk tugging at his lips. He was trying to rile me up. I folded my arms and huffed, then calmed my annoyance and told them about Ryo, Bakura, and Akefia. Both Marik and Melvin knew them. So it was up to me to make another plan. If Josie and I could sneak Melvin up to their room during our free time, he could do the spell and give them their own bodies, too. I furrowed my eyebrows and bit my lip nervously. I was sure they'd like their own personas, but… Was it a good idea to give Bakura his? If we did, and he got me alone, Ryo and Akefia wouldn't be able to take over and save me again. And I felt as if Bakura were the type to seek revenge…

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><p><strong>There you go! I'm sorry if it's terrible, but... ~ It'll probably be updated tomorrow or the next day! If you guys want... Oh, and quite a few people think I have a strange perspective for Melvin. Though I do see him as a psychotic, ruthless killer, I just think he can be good if he chooses to be. However, he only chooses to be around certain people. But anyway, I'll update later! See ya!<strong>


	9. Plot Twisting

**Another update! Does this make up for my previous updating inconsistency? Anyway, I hope someone is actually reading this. If not... ~ Well, at least this improves my writing. So here you go!**

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><p>Chapter 9: Plot Twist<p>

Erica's POV

_Anxiety. _That was the only feeling I had since the previous night. I was excited for Ryo to get his own boy, but it came with a price; Bakura would get his. I had thought that there wasn't any way I could feel even more unsafe in this insane asylum, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep again if Bakura got his own body. And all day, I kept zoning out of the real world to hallucinate about what Bakura could do if he became his own person. Melvin had told me that Bakura also enjoyed spiritualism and all of those dark things, which made me feel much more uneasy. Melvin had said it was simple to unlock their doors, so, if Bakura got his own body, he could unlock his door, come down to my room, finish the job of strangling me he had started, then be on his merry way. Josie was a _very _heavy sleeper, there's no way she'd wake up if he was even the slightest bit careful.

On the other hand, I felt that Ryo really deserved to have his own body. Josie had once told me Bakura and Akefia weren't very nice to him, and he'd probably like to be rid of them every once in a while. But he couldn't do that while they still all shared a body. And then there was the variable of my sister. I was positive she'd prefer Akefia having his own body. She was hiding it well, but I could tell she didn't like waiting on Ryo to get done with his tasks before transforming into Akefia.

At precisely 6:54, I came to my conclusion. Ryo, Akefia, and Josie's happiness was more important to me than taking the risk of Bakura hurting me. So I decided to tell Josie about the plan. At least, I _wanted _to tell Josie about it. However, as I was making my way to our room, my Aunt Jane once again stopped me in the hallway.

"Erica." She narrowed her eyes at me, then turned away. Aunt Jane usually didn't look at people when she spoke to them. But her booming voice projected enough that she didn't need to. "How is your new patient? Ryo Bakura?"

My heart leapt and my eyes widened slightly, but only for a moment. "Um… He's fine… Why do you ask?..." I bit my lip and fidgeted with my hands, scared she may have figured something out. If neither Josie nor me were allowed to be Ryo's nurse, it'd cause monumental problems and heartaches for us.

She looked around the hall nonchalantly and folded her hands behind her back promptly. "Oh, no reason. It's just that, upon reminiscing your sister's predicament involving him, I seem to be remembering him looking much different from his file picture." Within a second, she turned to faced me and leaned in uncomfortably close. "Care to explain?"

I raised an eyebrow, then remembered my aunt would've seen Akefia, not Ryo. "Uh… I don't know, Aunt Jane. What did the boy you saw look like?" She narrowed her incredibly dark green eyes at me and searched my own dark brown eyes for something, most likely my true thoughts. But, having the most curious sister on Earth, I'd learned well not to reveal anything through my eyes.

Upon backing up again, she replied sharply, "Tall. White hair. Tan. Muscular. Wearing no shirt. That's all I can recall, but even that isn't the scrawny boy in the picture. Explain." I took a deep breath. My mother had always told me I was good at thinking on the spot when it came to responses, and in this specific situation, I hoped greatly that she was right.

Turns out, she was.

"Aunt Jane, with all due respect, are you sure you know what you saw? I mean, are you sure you aren't mixing up patients? Ryo has white hair, but my other patient, Marik Ishtar, is tall, tan, and muscular. I think you're combining them. The memory is the first to go, in my opinion… How old are you again, Aunt Jane?" Now, my aunt isn't the common, everyday woman, but I could still see the flames of rage well up in her eyes when I asked her what her age was.

"That is… none of your concern! Go off, Erica, your shift is over!" She huffed and stormed down the steps. I sighed in relief, then burst out in laughter. I saved myself AND managed to get the revenge I had been dying to get on my aunt since I had arrived. And I laughed louder. So loud, in fact, that I didn't hear someone come up behind me.

"Whoa. Is that Erica Hartman? _Laughing_?! Asylums change you, man." I heard a giggle and turned to see none other than my sister. I rolled my eyes and smiled, then started walking back to our room, Josie following behind. "So are we gonna try the plan in the proper way tonight?"

I smiled. "Sorta, Jo. Hey Josie? How would you like for Akefia to have his own body?" I cringed as I heard a girly squeal of excitement from behind me. "I'm gonna take that as a yes… Anyway, he's going to get one. We just have to sneak Melvin up there tonight. Then he'll do some stuff and bam! Akefia, Bakura, and Ryo are their own person. You in?"

I turned in time to see her bouncing up and down excitedly while squealing in delight. "Heck yeah I'm in! Let's go!" I grabbed her arm and looked at my blue calculator watch.

"Hold on, Josie. It's only 7:30. Too risky. Let's wait until 9 to go tonight." I nodded and started dragging her to our room, her groaning in protest the entire trip. Rolling my eyes, I laughed softly. Sometimes I felt as if I was the eldest in our family…

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><p><strong>Later that night~<strong>

At exactly 9:02, Josie and I both began walking to Melvin and Marik's room. I wasn't sure if Marik would be coming along or not, but I secretly hoped he was. Apparently, it wasn't very secret because Josie then asked me, "Hey Erica? You've got a crush on Marik, right?" Eyes widening and a blush springing to my cheeks, I stuttered and faltered for a bit, then sighed in defeat.

"Yes, Josie…" I blushed more and quickened my pace a bit.

She smiled happily and followed along, looking around and presumably daydreaming. "But you seemed to like Ryo, too. And then there's this Melvin guy… And Bakura! Dang, you must go for bad boys…" That stopped me in my tracks.

"Whoa, hold it. Bakura? How about no." I scowled and looked up at her. "He's a maniac, I could never like him. He tried to kill me!"

"I doubt he would've… Just wanted to scare you away… You know, I've found that half the people in here just act all scary and mean because they're too scared to get close to people and let their guard down. They've been hurt before and they don't want to get hurt again. That's just what I'm guessing with Bakura. And you, too. You're not very open… And you don't like showing emotion."

"You've got that right…" I grumbled to myself for the rest of the trip and knocked on the door softly. "Marik? Melvin? It's me…" Grabbing my keycard and unlocking the door, Josie and I entered. Marik was sitting on the bed and looking at a book, and Melvin was sitting on the chair and eating an apple. Both were shirtless, Melvin wearing black pajama pants and Marik wearing dark purple ones.

Josie looked at both of them and laughed, then whispered to me, "Are _all _psychopaths attractive? Akefia's still got them beat, but… they're somewhat close." I rolled my eyes, then smiled and walked over to Melvin.

"Ready to go, Melvin?"

He looked down at me and nodded, then turned toward the door. "Marik's wants to come, by the way." He pointed to Marik, who was standing and striding over to me. I smiled despite myself and watched him.

"Okay…" Josie giggled and nudged me with her elbow, resulting in me smacking her arm. After that, we carefully exited and began walking up the stairs. Thankfully, the journey to room 4A was rather smooth, no interruptions or reasons to worry. Which made me nervous about our destination… If the trek was flawless, that just spelled out bad news for the journey's end…

I knocked on the piece of steel separating me from Ryo and softly called, "Ryo? It's me…" I unlocked the door and walked in, looking around. Ryo was sitting on the bed, wearing a light blue t-shirt and white pajama pants. As soon as I walked in, he jumped and hid something under his pillow.

"E-Erica! You're here!" He smiled nervously, and I noticed his face had a certain pink tint to it. He stood up, yet seemed to stay in front of his bed, blocking the view of his pillow. And I wasn't the only one who noticed this…

Josie narrowed her eyes and walked closer, then, in one quick motion, pushed Ryo out-of-the-way and lifted his pillow. Then she smiled. "Awe, you sleep with a stuffed animal?" She picked up a small, white bunny with a little pink nose and large floppy ears. It also had a little blue bowtie around its neck. Ryo blushed heavily and covered his face, then shyly nodded. I felt a smile threatening to overtake my mouth, and walked over, gently hugging Ryo.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed… I still sleep with a little blue teddy bear…" I smiled shyly and let go of him. He looked at me gratefully and smiled sheepishly. I giggled, then heard Melvin clear his throat. I looked at him. For some reason, he seemed annoyed, and I didn't understand why… "Oh, right! Ryo, would you like to be separated from Akefia and Bakura? Like, have your own body?" He looked at me and his eyes widened, then he quickly hugged my waist.

"YES! Oh, yes, I would love that!" I giggled, then looked at Melvin. He looked even more annoyed.

"Yes, let's get on with this. But first… Erica, would you go into the restroom?" He smirked slightly and looked at me, then motioned to the door of the bathroom. I furrowed my eyebrows and was about to object, but then realized things would go smoother if I simply did as he asked. So I shrugged and stepped into the bathroom, door closing behind me. As I felt the cold slab of steel close behind me, my eyes widened slightly. "Don't worry, lovely! You'll figure it out…" I heard his chuckle through the door, but that only confused me more. Figure what out?

After a few short moments, I heard him chanting and could sense something was happening. "Melvin? Are you starting?..."

"Oh, yes. But I wouldn't want to confuse you, so I sent you to the bathroom." I heard that arrogant chuckle once more. I thought for a moment, then scowled and started to pound on the door.

"Melvin! I told you yesterday! I can understand what you're doing if you just showed me!" He'd forced me in here simply to aggravate me. I groaned in frustration and sat on the floor, knowing well that I wouldn't be let out of here any time soon. As I leaned against the door, it hit me that I hadn't had a good night's sleep in quite a while… And, of course, that's when my eyelids begin to feel heavy. Melvin's voice and his chanting had a soothing, calming rhythm to it. And my eyelids began to droop. My whole body began to feel heavy, like it was too much to hold anything up. So my head slowly began to fall to my shoulder, and my eyes eventually closed as the luring sensation of sleep took over…

**CRASH! **

I awoke with a start, jumping to my feet quickly and looking around. I felt the dizziness from standing up too quickly and put my hands on my head, then rubbed my eyes and tried to work through the weariness of sleep. As I remembered I was still in the plain bathroom, I went to open the door. But then my brain and eyes focused, and my senses sharpened. I heard a ton of yelling, from several different voices. That confused me, and my mind began to cloud over once again. The next thing I noticed was a strange, sickly sweet scent that I couldn't decide if I liked or disliked, but I knew I'd never smelled it before. And the last thing I heard before another loud crash was my aunt's voice…

"Josie Hartman! I gave you a second chance, and you blew it! I'm sending you home!"

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><p><strong>That's it! I'm sorry if it's bad... *Sigh* And so short, I can't write long things... I am a failure. Anyway, still needing some reviews! Well, not needing, but they're much appreciated. I'll see ya guys tomorrow! Bye!<strong>


	10. Scheming

**Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry it's taken awhile, but I've had just a few things that have been taking up my time... Anyway, HUGE THANKS to the two people who reviewed! You guys were super nice, and I love you! THANK YOU! Anyway, here's the next chapter! I tried to make it a bit longer for you!**

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><p>Chapter 10: Scheming<p>

Josie's POV

I jumped out of my chair and gasped. I had been calmly watching Melvin chant some ancient spell while gazing at Ryo, anxiously waiting for Akefia to come out. And just as my Egyptian lover came into view, someone threw open the door, loudly hitting against the wall and creating a doorknob-sized hole in it.

**CRASH!**

I'm pretty sure everyone in the room turned to see who the unwelcome guest was. And, unluckily for me, it was that one person that I needed to _not _walk in right then…

"A-Aunt Jane!" I bit my lip and looked around. But there was no explanation for the four extra boys in the room or for me blatantly disobeying her by coming to see Akefia. "What are you doing here? Isn't it a bit late?..." I smiled nervously at her, feeling in my bones that something terrible was about to happen.

My aunt was fuming, even worse than when she had caught me with Akefia. Her entire face was a deep, furious red, and her body was trembling with rage. This time, I could actually see just a bit of crimson dripping from her clenched fists, meaning she'd dug her unnaturally sharp nails into her palms. Her eyes were wide in shock; no one ever defied my aunt. And they were focused right on me.

"Who are all of these people?! And why are you in here?! You stupid girl!" She clenched her fists tighter and growled, taking a step closer to me and raising her right hand. I flinched and turned my head away, knowing she was poised to strike. But, just as she swung the back of her hand at my cheek, I felt someone step in front of me. I slowly turned my head to see Akefia protectively standing in front of me, holding my aunt's wrist in the air and scowling.

"She's not stupid. She's amazing. You should be lucky she's your niece, because you are a pitiful, pathetic old woman." He released her hand and turned to face me, gently cupping my cheek and looking into my eyes. "Don't let her push you around, Josie. You're better than that, better than her." I looked up into his eyes as a smile crept to my lips, giving a shy nod.

This highly displeased my aunt. She looked at me in pure hatred and took a sharp, angry breath. "Josie Hartman! I gave you a second chance, and you blew it! I'm sending you home!" With that, she turned and stormed out the door. However, just as she was about to depart, she paused. "Have your bags packed by tomorrow morning. You're leaving at 9 o'clock sharp." She then proceeded to stride off down the hall, once again slamming the door closed.

I looked up at Akefia, my eyes brimming with tears. "I-I'm going home?..."

"No! I won't let that happen, Josie…" He smiled reassuringly, but his eyes told me that even he knew he was powerless in this situation. I thought while staring into his troubled eyes.

Akefia and his brothers and all the patients here were to be kept here forever, or until they died. They'd never be released. So that meant that if I had to go home, I'd never see Akefia again. Erica and I were supposed to leave when summer ended anyway, but I was 18, I didn't have to go back to school. I could work at the asylum permanently if I wanted. And I would've, if that's what I had to do to be with Akefia. That wouldn't happen now that I had gotten kicked out, though. However, I knew that if I argued with my aunt, not only would she still send me home, but she'd make the rest of Akefia's life here miserable. So my only option was to obey her.

"Akefia… I-I… I have no other option…" I collapsed into his arms and buried my face into his chest, biting my lip. The tears threatened to spill over, so I hid my face in his chest more to conceal my cries. I'd never fallen apart so much. Therefore, I tried to change the subject. "Anyone wanna l-let Erica out of the bathroom?..."

Ryo quickly jumped up. "Oh dear, why has no one open the door for her yet?!" He quickly ran over and swung open the steel door. She smiled shyly at the concern on Ryo's face, but that smile soon faded as her eyes gazed upon my quivering form. Slowly, she walked over to Akefia and looked up at me.

"It's true, then? You have to leave?" Her eyes were laced with sadness, but she hid it well. She'd always been good at veiling her emotions. I nodded and looked at her, then sniffled and smiled.

"Take good care of Akefia, sis. And yourself. I can't give you advice and be your big sister as well from home." I ruffled her hair and smiled sadly. Erica was incredibly independent and rarely needed anyone, usually not even our parents. However, we had found out when we were younger that we needed each other. I was the cause of her silly and crazy side, though it was rare. She was my smart and focused side. We balanced each other out. But now, I had to go. Erica furrowed her brow and looked at me for quite a while, then slowly nodded.

"I will, Jo. Take care of mom and dad. I'll be home at the end of summer." I nodded, not knowing exactly what was going on inside that complicated mind of hers. However, this reaction was apparently not what Akefia wanted to hear.

"What?!" He jumped away from me and grabbed my younger sister's forearms. "You can't just let her go! What kind of sister are you?! I-I don't want to lose her!" By this point, he was shaking her rapidly and staring at her with wide eyes. Her eyes had also widened, and it appeared she was a bit surprised at his outburst, but she soon calmed him and looked up at him.

"A good one. I know what I'm doing. Just trust me." He bit his lip, then sighed and let go, turning back to me. He seemed to be searching for something to say, but when he found no words, he simply wrapped his arms around me and held me close in an endearing embrace. I closed my eyes and melted into his arms, knowing this could possibly be the last time I'd ever get to be enchanted by his touch…

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><p><em><strong>The Next Morning, 8:55 AM~ (Still Josie's POV)<strong>_

I had my suitcase packed, and I was no longer wearing my nurse's uniform. I had on ripped jeans, an orange tank top, a leather jacket, and black converse. I glanced at my watch. 8:55. Aunt Jane hadn't excused Erica or any of the guys from their schedule to tell me goodbye, so I was waiting outside alone. Biting my lip, I began to feel the burning sensation behind my eyes that I always felt before I started to cry. Upon seeing my aunt saunter over to me, however, I choked back the tears and held my head high. No matter what, I wasn't going to give her the pleasure of watching me cry at her hands.

"Ready to leave, Josie?" She was smirking proudly as she walked over to me. "Remember, you aren't welcome back again. Ever." She laughed wickedly, then pointed to the train that was approaching the station outside the asylum. "Looks like your ride's here. Goodbye, my horrid niece." With that, she nodded and motioned for me to board the train.

I sighed and picked up my luggage, then trudged over to the vehicular object that would be transferring me home. I took my bags to the appropriate car, then made my way to the one meant for passengers who weren't exactly rich. My aunt had even bought me a ticket for the worst car on the train… I took my seat and gazed out the window at the asylum. That's when an awful feeling hit the pit of my stomach. Instantly, I was aware that this was a feeling of sorrow, but it was also a feeling I'd never felt before. And after a few brief moments, as the train began to move, the feeling began to grow worse. About 10 minutes later, I was finally capable of wrapping my mind around the sensation in my abdomen. It was homesickness.

But the asylum wasn't my home, I hadn't even been there a week. And yet… something about it felt even more like a home than my actual house. And when I glanced down at my neck, I figured that out, too. Before I had gone to bed last night, Akefia had given me one of his golden rings to wear to remember him forever. However, it was much too big for me, so I had put it on a chain to wear as a necklace. As soon as my eyes spotted that hoop of gold, the homesickness feeling worsened by an enormous amount.

I suppose that old saying was true… "Home is where the heart is". My heart belonged to Akefia, and I now knew that I'd never feel at peace without him. I furrowed my eyebrows and tried my hardest not to cry once again. I couldn't handle that intense sensation of wanting him for the rest of my life. So I made my decision. I wasn't going to give up on Akefia, and I would see him again. But what could I do? That thought discouraged me greatly. I couldn't think of things to do, that was what I had Erica for. I missed her too, she was my only sibling… I missed all of my patients as well… I closed my eyes as fresh tears began to leak from my already dampened tear ducts. I took a deep breath and attempted to calm myself down. Deciding to listen to music to help relax my nerves, I reached into my backpack to take out my orange headphones.

But as I removed them from my bag, something else came out and drifted to the floor. I looked down at it curiously. It was a piece of paper, and no small note either. It was full-sized and completely full of words, front and back, written neatly in light blue ink. I raised an eyebrow in suspicion and carefully picked it up, then began to read it thoroughly. My eyes began to widen, and I gasped loudly as I arrived at the end of the letter. I jumped out of my seat so quickly I was surprised I didn't lose my balance.

"**Stop this train!"**

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><p><em><strong>Back at the asylum, Erica and Josie's room (Erica's POV)<strong>_

"The windows or the doors?" I scowled and groaned for the umpteenth time that morning. Glancing at the clock, I sighed. It was only 10 o'clock, and I desperately needed Ryo or Melvin or anyone, really. But they were having free time right now… Or… were they?... I laid back on my bed and looked up at the ceiling, mind encased in thought. I guessed that Melvin and Marik were both playing sports or working in the store, so I couldn't go see them. The nurses took turns watching the patients during their free time, and today wasn't my turn. However, what about Ryo and Akefia? Though I couldn't be sure, I had a feeling Ryo wasn't the athletic type and too shy to work in a store. And I also had a feeling Akefia was probably staying in their room as well, after losing Josie just this morning. That meant I could go see them…

My eyes widened as this thought buzzed through my brain, and I jumped up and began to rapidly sprint to their room, my journal in hand. I quickly bolted to their door and grabbed my keycard, unlocking the door and bursting in, not remembering to knock.

Ryo was on the chair, reading a book from the _Maximum Ride _series, and Akefia was lying face down on the bed, clutching the stuffed lion Josie had given him last night. He remained in this position as I barged in, but Ryo looked up, then stood quickly. He seemed a bit confused at first, then happy.

"Erica? What are you doing here?" He smiled and set his book down, then ran over to me. Akefia grunted as a greeting. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"I need your help, Ryo. But, um… Is he okay?..." I looked at Ryo and motioned to Akefia. Ryo smiled sadly and shook his head, then leaned in closer to me and lowered his voice.

"He's really upset over losing Josie. She's the only person who really cared for him. He's laying like that because he doesn't want anyone to see he's crying. But enough sadness, what do you need my help with?" He smiled at me, and it gave me a bit of confidence in my plan.

I cleared my throat, then spoke loud enough for both him and Akefia to hear. "I'm breaking you guys out of here. But I need your help with my plan…" After I spoke those words, Akefia sat up and sniffled, quickly wiping a few tears away.

"Breaking us out?... But if you did that, I'd," his eyes widened a bit as my idea sunk into his mind, then smiled broadly, "I'd get to see Josie again! We have to do this!" He jumped up off the bed and quickly ran over to me, holding the toy lion closely. "W-we have to!"

I smiled, then walked over and sat down on the bed, opening up my journal and showing them the map of the building I'd drawn and the notes I'd written down. "Yeah, um… Well, the main problem is I don't know where we'd exit. There are motion sensors on the doors in the lobby, not to mention cameras. And the windows in your rooms have metal bars covering them, so we can't exit from there. And I just can't think of another way out."

I looked at Akefia for help, but his face showed the blank puzzlement that I felt. I sighed softly, then glanced at Ryo. He didn't show the blankness that Akefia and I did, but he did seem quite nervous. He was fidgeting and biting his lip, averting his eyes from the book. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Ryo… What's up?..."

He looked at me and shyly smiled, failing miserably at trying to hide his anxiousness. "Oh, nothing! I'm fine!" As I continued to stare at him suspiciously, he sighed and bit his lip again. "Okay… I-I… I know of another exit…"

Akefia and I both jumped closer to him. "What?! Where?!"

He squeaked and jumped, then pointed to his dresser. "B-behind there… There's an air duct that's big enough for us to crawl through… Well, me and Erica, anyway." He paused to look at his broad-shouldered, muscular older brother, then continued, "And I believe it leads to the roof. I-if we could find a way to climb down to the ground, then we could make our escape. But, of course, I can't think of any way to do that, a-and it's incredibly dangerous, and I-I'm not sure Akefia would fit, and… What?" He looked at me as if he'd said something terrible. Only then did I realize I was staring at him in awe.

"Oh, you're a genius, Ryo!" I giggled and grabbed my pen, then instinctively kissed his cheek. Not thinking about it, I simply went back to writing things down, Ryo's face ablaze with embarrassment and happiness. "So our main concern is getting off the roof. Hm… Wait… I think there's a few of those rope ladders in the shed outside. I suppose we'd just have to hope there's enough of them to equal the height of the building. Sure, it's dangerous, but not impossible… Yeah… But then there's also the matter of gigantor over here not being able to fit… Ugh, Akefia…" I looked at him, then regretted my sentence.

He was looking down, tears welling up in his eyes. "You guys should still go. It's partially my fault Ryo's in here, he should go free…" This tugged at my heart, and I gently set my hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner.

"Akefia-"

"How about instead of feeling sorry for each other, you keep planning?" My heart stopped at the familiar voice. My head jerked to the direction of the bathroom, and my fears were confirmed. I'd completely forgotten that the third brother in room 4A could still be here… I slightly hid behind Akefia as Bakura continued to talk. "I'm not much of a sporty guy, so when I have my free time, I spend it searching for a way out of this dump. In doing so, I discovered a back door. The only problem was, the electric fence that surrounds the free time area prohibited me from reaching it, which I suppose is the point of the fence. The other problem is, it locks from the outside. So while Nurse Big Mouth and Cream Puff climb own the building, Mr. Muscles could find that door from the inside and wait. Then those two could unlock it, he could exit, then you're all home free."

I scowled slightly at his nicknames for us, then stood and gazed at him. "That's… really smart, Bakura. Or should I say Kitty?" He growled at me and reached up to cover the two spikes his hair formed. And yet, there was also just the lightest shade of pink gracing his pale cheeks.

"I'm _NOT _a cat." He scowled at me and came closer, then smirked. "And not so fast. I came up with the plan, therefore I'm coming along." My eyes widened. I couldn't release a murderer back into the world! But I knew that he'd inform my aunt of our departure if I didn't let him come… I had no other option.

I bit my lip nervously and looked up at him. "Fine. But you can't harm _anyone _ever again if I let you come. Got it?" He laughed and rolled his eyes, then plopped down on the bed and picked up my journal.

"Sure, whatever you say." I scowled at him, but my scowl began to dissipate as he started to flip through the pages. Just as I was about to take it from him, he looked up at me and smirked. "What's this? 'Erica's Journal Entry Number 3'…" My eyes widened, and I leapt for him, but he evaded my grasp by standing and moving. "Hehe… 'I met my newest patient today, his name is Ryo. And while I do admit I have a bit of a crush on Marik AND Melvin, I think I'm getting one on him, too. He's just so cute and sweet!'"

I was mortified and didn't dare look at Ryo. "Give that back!" I lunged for him again, but he once again dodged. I glared at him, but then furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. His expression looked similar to mine as he kept reading.

"'...If only he didn't have a psychotic older brother that tried to kill me! I swear, I hate Bakura's guts… Well… That's not true, I don't hate him. I think he's just a lonely, misunderstood guy that needs a friend. And… I guess he's kinda cute, too…'" A faint blush tainted his cheeks for a brief moment before he scowled at me in pure hatred, ramming the book into my chest. I grunted in pain, then looked at him in fear. "I don't need a friend, and I most certainly don't need you. I'm not lonely. I'm a monster. Killing gives me joy, pleasure. You should hate me. Because I hate you more than anything in the entire universe. Leave me alone. Ryo can fill me in on the plan later." With that, he stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door closed.

I stood there in silence and held my journal close, trembling. I wasn't even scared, just… sorry. I felt I had upset him greatly, and that hadn't been my intention. Actually, I hadn't intended for him to ever read my journal. And yet, I still felt horrible inside. But Ryo wrapping his arm around me shyly helped me feel a bit better… I looked at him and saw that his face was a brilliant red color. I blushed heavily as I remembered that he'd heard my true feelings for him. So I changed the subject as quickly as I could.

"A-anyway! Um, so yeah, I think we have our plan…" I nodded and smiled shyly at him, then looked at Akefia. He appeared to be pondering everything we'd been discussing.

"What about after we leave? Won't they look for us?" I could tell he would do the plan anyway, but was trying to see if he'd have to hide for the rest of his life. I smiled.

"Well, I'm pretty sure my aunt wouldn't care enough about us to actually look for us. But my parents… Well, they could send us straight back here. So we have to find a way of getting Josie back while avoiding my mom and dad. But we can figure all that out after we escape here. Also, as long as my aunt doesn't have your files, she can't prove you're supposed to be here. And since my aunt doesn't believe in using computers to store information, all I have to do is break into her office and steal Ryo's actual file. And… Marik's…" I blushed lightly.

Akefia chuckled softly and smirked. "You're inviting the Ishtar brothers to come along, eh? Fine by me, as long as we get to Josie…" He smiled at her name.

I giggled softly, then wrote down a few more things in my journal. "Give me tomorrow morning to steal the files, then at say… 9:30 PM, I'll sneak Melvin and Marik up here, and the plan will commence. Sound good?" Akefia nodded, but Ryo looked skeptical.

"But what do we do if we actually do manage to break out of here? We can exactly hitch a ride on the train, they'll know we're 'prisoners'. What do we do?"

I smiled and shrugged. "Let me handle that… Anyway, we have our plan. I'll see you guys later, and we can further discuss all of this... scheming. But for now, I'm going to go figure out how to get into Aunt Jane's office… See ya!" I waved goodbye and began walking out.

Akefia elbowed Ryo and motioned to me. I heard the small albino inhale nervously. "U-um… Erica?..." I turned back around and gazed upon his crimson face, smiling.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, uh…" He seemed like he desperately wanted to tell me something, but just couldn't work up the courage. So instead, he smiled shyly and waved sheepishly. "Um… B-bye…" Akefia groaned and gently shoved his younger brother. I smiled and waved back, then exited the room and sighed.

He definitely didn't like me… But I had bigger things on my mind at the moment. How on Earth would I be able to break into my aunt's office and steal two files without her, or her cameras, noticing? I gulped visibly and strode down the hall to the staircase. I had a lot of planning to do…

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><p><strong>There you have it! In the next chapter, you'll see the plan unfold... ~ Hope you guys liked it, I'll update as soon as I can! <strong>


	11. I Can Be Myself?

**What's this? A bit of a longer chapter? w Yay! I'm sorry it took so long, I was a bit busy and had a little bit of writer's block... But then inspiration hit! Anyway, thanks for all the reviews! YOU are what inspires me! And to the "anonymous" who doesn't have an account but said they'd still review, thanks so much! And to everyone else that reviewed, THANKS! Please keep it up! Anyway, here you go~**

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><p>Chapter 11: I Can Be Myself?<p>

_**Erica's POV, 9:00 AM~**_

Do you ever feel like you're doing the right thing, even though you know it's probably wrong? If so, then have you ever got your older sister in so much trouble that she lost one of the things she cared most about, then created a moderately devised plan to break 5 extremely dangerous criminals out of "prison" and release them into the real world simply to make that same sister feel better? If you answered yes, you probably have a life even more insane than mine, we should meet up. Have lunch, hang out, maybe discuss our sanity and how it's dwindling exceedingly at that very moment.

In all seriousness, however, I was contemplating my decision carefully. I knew that Ryo and Marik were completely trustworthy, no worry with them. And Akefia? Knowing he'd be my mischievous sister's boyfriend, I assumed he'd still be a bit of a troublemaker, but nothing massive or dangerous to anyone. Melvin? I felt that, if he busted out and stayed with Marik and I, he'd keep the calm demeanor he'd had for the entire time I'd been with him here, only slipping into his psycho side when he was angered greatly by something. But, with me watching him and pursuing my quest at teaching him to love, I didn't think he'd be too much of a menace the majority of the time. But Bakura? Bakura was a _much _different story…

Reviewing the facts in my mind, I realized a few things. The first thing being that he truly, honestly, and deeply hated me in every way possible, every fathomable aspect. That wasn't a huge shocker; I'd never been likable in the first place, and he hated me from the start. But the second thing was: I had no choice but to set Bakura free into the Earth once again. _I _would be the cause of a merciless killer re-entering a world of innocent victims. That thought hit my heart hard, but not quite as hard as my final realization. Bakura now knew that I cared about Ryo and Marik a substantial amount. And considering how much he hated me, I knew he wasn't above going after them, even if they were his "brother" and friend. Marik was strong and muscular, but still no match for Bakura without Melvin or the mysterious millennium rod's help. And Ryo wasn't very tough to begin with, but coupled with the fact he's too sweet to hurt a fly equaled a troublesome set of outcomes for him.

I glanced at my blue wristwatch and gasped. _9:42?! _I instantly grabbed my bag and quickly ran to my aunt's office. (Which was much nicer than any room I'd been in here, might I add.) I had told Akefia and Ryo I'd go to steal their file at 9:30 AM. I _was _only 12 minutes late, but my aunt was the most punctual and scheduled person in the entire world. And I was guessing she checked the patients in the free time area at around this time, and got back to her office at around 10 to do paperwork. However, if I couldn't find the files easily, it could take me quite awhile to get out of there. And at that moment, I had only 18 minutes to find them and exit without leaving anything suspicious behind! On a luckier note, Melvin had been able to use his dark magic to turn off all the cameras for the day, so I didn't need to worry about that.

But, as I approached the door and secured my guess that Aunt Jane was out then, I stopped. Biting my lip, I leaned against the door and thought. What was I even doing this for? Whatever it was, was it worth releasing dangerous thieves and villains back into the world? I sighed and began to pace, my necklace bouncing off of my decolletage. I glanced down at it, becoming overcome with memories. The necklace was truly a locket, a special one. Inside the small, heart-shaped trinket was a picture of Josie and I when we were mere children. It was the day after she'd dealt with the bullies for me, the day she told me she'd be there for me when our parents weren't. Which was pretty much always. Anyway, the locket reminded me of all the times she'd protected me or covered for me or saved me. More importantly, it reminded me that this plan was for her. Akefia made her incredibly happy, anyone could see that. I had to reunite them, no matter what the consequences could be.

I glanced at my watch once again and grimaced. 9:53. 7 minutes to set the plan into action… Rapidly, yet also quietly, I clutched the doorknob and thrust the door open, springing into the room. I searched the room with my eyes for a few moments, then ran to the filing cabinet behind her desk. B for Bakura, I for Ishtar. Didn't seem too hard, right? Wrong. Aunt Jane had, of course, not ordered the files according to last name. She arranged them by the extremeness of their crimes. So the really bad crimes were at the very top of the cabinet, and the lesser ones were lower in the cabinet. The only problem was, there were over 100 patients here, and I knew about 10 of them. And only 5 of them well. I took a guess that Marik's was closer to the top.

"Ishtar comma Marik, Ishtar comma Marik… Oh! There it is!" So Marik/Melvin was the 4th most treacherous prisoner here… I was never sure if that was relieving or terrifying… Anyway, I had no clue where Ryo's could be, so I started just a bit above the middle.

I bit my lip as I searched. My aunt's office was far from all of the patients at any time, far from _anyone _at any time, truthfully. The silence was starting to get a bit overbearing, and I felt as if my own thoughts and worries were bouncing off the walls and crowding around me, creating more literal _and _metaphorical pressure on me. Ironically, the quietness seemed like one of the loudest things I'd ever heard, and it was filling my ears and brain. The only sound was the ticking of my watch, a constant reminder that my time never did stop running out. The only sound… Until a new sound was introduced. I was welcome to anything that would take my mind off that dreadful, intense, anxious, simple silence, until I recognized that sound. It was the click of high heels on a tile floor, which the asylum had. Who wore high heels, though? Certainly not my aunt, she only wore boots. Boots… with a small heel!

I swiftly looked at my watch to see that the time was 9:59, with only 10 seconds until 10 o'clock. I gasped quietly and searched rapidly for a few more seconds, slightly starting to tear up. It had to be there… I cried out in frustration and closed the cabinet, knowing I'd blown it. I probably wouldn't get another chance to search for his file… So I stuffed Marik's into my bag and disguised my distress, then smiled and acted as if I had just walked in as my aunt entered…

"Erica? Why is your presence needed here?" She looked at me and narrowed her eyes, as she sat down at her desk.

I swallowed nervously and looked at her like a student who'd just been sent to the principal's office. "I, um… I just needed to… ask you a…" That's when I spotted something on her desk that made me completely lose the excuse I had prepared. It was Ryo's file! Sitting on top of a pile of files, it clearly had "Bakura, Ryo" at the top!

"Ask me what? Make it quick, I haven't got all day." She looked at me, her eyes drilling into my soul and her mind mentally wringing my neck.

"Oh! Um, I just wanted to ask if you could, uh… Send a card to Josie! Her patients and I miss her, but we know she's not coming back… So could we send her a card saying goodbye?" I'd seen a ton of TV shows where someone kept staring at the thing they wanted, therefore giving away their true motives easily. So I kept my eyes on her and smiled coolly.

She scowled at me. "No. When I said she's gone, every part of her is gone. No notes, cards, or any contact with her at all. Why would you even make the assumption that I would let you do such a thing?" At that point she rolled her eyes and turned around, reaching for her cup of tea.

My eyes widened as I realized that it was my chance to grab the file! In one swift motion, I reached out, seized the folder, stuffed it in my bag, and regained my sweet smile. She turned around and narrowed her eyes at me, then took a sip and gazed down at her documents.

"Well, I just thought… Oh, never mind… Sorry…" I walked out slowly, then instantly ran as fast as I could once I set foot in the hallway. I had to hide my bag and hide it well, not that anyone would be looking for it in the first place. I rushed into my room and looked around, then stopped and furrowed my eyebrows. I had to hide it in a place that wasn't obvious… Not under my bed or in the closet, those were the first places everyone looked… But the pile of stuffed animals in the corner probably wouldn't be too suspicious.

I walked over and moved two of the animals, set my bag in their place, then set them down on top of it. It wasn't noticeable at all when I glanced at it. It looked like part of one of the animals, actually… I looked at the clock on my nightstand. 10:08. I still had quite some time before I had to do anything productive…

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><p><em><strong>Marik and Melvin's bedroom, Later that day~<strong>_

"Erica, that's a crazy and dangerous idea. I'm in."

I had explained the entire plan to Marik and Melvin, hoping they'd be willing to go along with it. Without even letting me finish the ideas, Marik jumped in to tell me that it was way too dangerous for me and that I could get hurt and things like that. After trying to reassure him several times (only to be cut off each time), I just waited until he was done lecturing me, then looked at Melvin.

The tall Egyptian smirked and continued, "I'm all for anything hazardous or deadly. And a girl doing something that risky to break criminals out of jail? Sounds like a cool action movie, actually…" He chuckled while Marik looked at him in shock.

"Melvin! Erica could die! Don't you care at all?!" He folded his arms and stared up at his older brother, a mix of surprise and irritation in his expression.

Melvin shrugged, and I felt my smile begin to droop. "Sure. But not too much to stop my shot at freedom of this accursed place. Besides, she can take care of herself, she's smart." I felt my heart fall in sorrow until I heard him add something more quietly. "And I'd never let her get hurt anyway… I'll protect her…"

A smile grew on my face, and I looked up at both of them, beaming. "Okay! So at around 9:30, go up to Ryo's room and stay with Akefia and Bakura. Ryo and I'll be there, but then go through the ducts to the roof. I'm hoping Akefia or Bakura managed to steal the ladders discretely during their free time… Anyway, as we're in the ducts, you guys go find the door. Once we climb down the building, we'll unlock the door and we're free."

Marik looked at me disapprovingly, then sighed and smiled. "Fine, I'll go along. I know you'll go through with it either way… But a few questions. First, do you have a key to the door? How are you going to unlock it otherwise? And what do we do after we get out of the building? Walk to your house that's states away?"

He raised an eyebrow, and I held my hands up in innocence. "I never said it was a well-constructed plan, okay?! As for the door, I don't know… I guess I could take Bakura with me, and he could pick the lock… As dangerous as that would be for me… About the actual getaway, we'll figure that out later! That's not the super dangerous part of it!"

The brothers simply looked at each other and shrugged, then nodded at me. I smiled and internally squealed in joy. I did _not _want to leave them behind, so I had been desperately hoping they'd go with us. I held my journal close and glanced at my watch. I had to move on to the rest of my patients…

After seeing a few more of my patients, I came to Ryo's room. As I entered, Bakura instantly stood up and locked himself in the bathroom, scowling the entire time. Akefia was bouncing on his bed like an excited puppy, and Ryo was nervously biting his lip. We spoke for a while, working out a few problems with our plan, before I had to ask a question I was dreading.

"Bakura… I need to speak with you…" I spoke loudly enough so that he could hear while glancing at the bathroom door. After a few long moments, the door opened slowly, and the white-haired thief stood in the doorway.

"What do you want?" He scowled and folded his arms.

I sighed. Right from the start, this wasn't going well. "I need your help with the plan. While you are quite muscular and strong, you're much smaller than Akefia and can fit through the ducts. I need you to come with Ryo and I to pick the lock on the door outside. Will you?"

It was a risk to trust Bakura with that, he could run away easily once we got outside and leave Akefia, Marik, and Melvin trapped inside. But it was the only thing I could think of to do.

He narrowed his eyes at me, then nodded slowly. "Fine. But I need you to bring along one of those silly hair contraptions that all girls conveniently seem to have. I don't have one. The nurses confiscated all of my daggers, so that would be the only thing I could pick a lock with."

I furrowed my eyebrows and looked at him, then nodded in realization. "Silly hair contraptions"; he meant a bobby pin! I giggled a bit, then looked down at my watch.

"Okay, I'll see you guys tonight! Marik and Melvin will be up, too." I waved, then started walking off as Ryo spoke up.

"Wait, Erica!" He ran over to me, and I turned around to see a confused Bakura, a smiling Akefia, and an ablazen Ryo. He smiled shyly and took one of my hands, then took a deep breath and spoke rather quickly. "I-I know I'm going to be with you for all of tonight, but I still wanted to tell you to be extra careful!" With that, he gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, squeaked, then ran into the bathroom in embarrassment.

I touched my cheek gently and smiled shyly, then giggled and blushed more than I had ever blushed before. Bakura rolled his eyes after he figured out what was happening, then sat in his chair. "Ah, gross, stupid, pointless young love…"

I scowled at him, then started the trek back to my room. I smiled to myself and touched my cheek once again. I'd never forget that moment… That crazy, spectacular moment…

Once I arrived back at my room, I took a deep breath. We all knew we had to travel light, which meant we had to get rid of most of our things. I grabbed a large, neon blue backpack and set it down on my bed. The first thing I did was change out of my nurse outfit and into blue jeans, black converse, a black t-shirt, and a gray beanie. I set out my gray hoodie, as I'd put that on later. The next thing I accomplished was packing my bag. I hadn't brought too much with me to begin with, so it actually wasn't too hard. Inside the soft fabric of my bag, I placed two more outfits, my journal, a pencil, two pairs of pajamas, a few ponytails and things, a few pairs of socks and essentials, an extra pair of converse, a bottle of water, three stuffed animals, my fully charged phone, the files, and a few granola bars and pieces of fruit. Then, I placed a few bobby pins in my pocket and put my hoodie on. The bag was certainly full, yet not so much that it would be in danger of items falling out. Also, it was quite light and easy to carry. I put it on, and fastened my locket and watch. The final thing I did was toss all of the things I wouldn't be able to bring with me out into the dumpster outside, except for the stuffed animals. Teddy bears and things were my secret weakness, I loved them a lot, and couldn't just part with them. So, with the spare time I had, I went around to each of my patients that wouldn't be leaving, giving each of them one of the animals. I made up the excuse that I didn't know when their birthdays were, so I was simply giving them each an early present.

As I exited the room of my final patient, I realized it was 9:23. Time to begin our plan… So I walked up the stairs and down the hall to Room 4A, realizing that it was hopefully the last time I'd ever be in the room. As I walked in, I saw that Marik and Melvin had already arrived. Melvin and Akefia were chatting, Ryo and Marik were checking over their bags, and Bakura was standing alone in the corner. I smiled and closed the door behind me, then looked at each of them.

"You guys ready? And please tell me someone got the rope ladders…" They all nodded, and Bakura held up four 10 foot long rope ladders. The building we'd be climbing down was about 50 feet tall, so there'd be about 10 feet that the ladders wouldn't cover… But I hoped that there'd be a window ledge or something for us to climb on.

I looked at everyone and smiled, slightly nervously. "Okay, then. We're ready. Marik, Melvin, and Akefia, you three take our bags and go find the door. If anything goes wrong, come back here, we'll figure something else out. I promise we won't leave you behind." I giggled softly and gave them each a quick hug, then handed my backpack to Marik.

After that, Melvin and Akefia moved the dresser about a foot away from the wall, revealing an air duct. It wasn't exactly big, nor was it tiny. I've said before that I'm definitely not the thinnest gal around, but even I could fit in it easily. As Bakura pulled the grate off and set it aside, I looked at him and Ryo. He folded his arms and looked at me expectantly. Ryo was fidgeting nervously and fumbling with his hands. My knights in shining armor… I suppose that meant I would be going in first. I took a deep breath, then climbed in and looked around. Just a silver, box-shaped tunnel for a few feet, then a turn. One of the few fears I did have was minor claustrophobia; I didn't like tight spaces at all. Luckily for me, however, I didn't feel trapped or overwhelmed.

"You guys can come on in, it's fine… I'm not exactly sure where we're going though, so you might wanna hope we're good guessers…" I giggled softly and started crawling forward, giving them room to get in behind me. I heard Bakura chuckle.

"You can go next, Ryo. I'm sure you'd love _that _view… Hehe…" I blushed madly and mentally scowled at Bakura, then turned the corner and listened to Ryo.

"B-Bakura!" I could just picture his cute little blush and him glaring at his brother. I also heard all of the other guys chuckling. "Y-you're going next!"

I heard Bakura laugh softly and climb in behind me. "Well, if you insist…"

I scowled back at him and kept crawling. Ignoring that embarrassing little event, I kept on moving and focused on the obstacles ahead of me. Amazingly enough, there weren't too many turns or dual routes, mainly just one tunnel of metal. Once we got to the area where the ducts went up to the next floor, we stood up and climbed onto the next level. After doing that twice, we arrived at another grate. I pushed on it hard, and it popped off. I stood up and climbed up, then looked around.

"Whoa…" We were definitely on the roof. As I looked around, I seen a few dirt roads, miles and miles of fields, very few buildings, and the thick, surrounding black wall. Oh no! I'd forgotten about the wall! My eyes widened, and I assumed Bakura guessed what I was thinking…

"You know, there has to be a back opening somewhere. In fact, it's right there," he paused to point at a small gray door near the back of the entire building, "and I'm guessing it's for your aunt and other employees who don't take the train here. Though there's probably a security system, it's most likely easy enough to disable."

I squinted to see the gray outline of the door, which almost completely blended in with its black brick surroundings. I raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"How'd you spot that so quickly?"

He shrugged simply and smirked, slightly psychotically. "A thief has to have good eyes, Nurse."

I nervously scooted away from him as I heard a thud, followed by a soft squeak. I turned to see Ryo laying on his back on the roof, his feet still slightly in the ducts. I ran over and quickly helped him up.

"Ryo! Are you okay?" Bakura laughed, and I glared at him, then looked at Ryo. He smiled shyly and scratched the back of his neck, blushing heavily.

"I-I'm fine, just a klutz…" He smiled and nodded, then slowly took my hand and blushed more than ever before.

My face heated up even more and I smiled shyly, holding his hand. Bakura rolled his eyes and took out the first ladder, fastening it to the side of the building.

"Can we get on with this before you two start making out?" Ryo and I both blushed even more, quickly taking our hands back. We then walked over to the ladder and looked down at the ground, a far, far way down…

I heard Ryo gasp and step back, so I bit my lip and built up my courage, then walked over and began to climb down the ladder, holding the second ladder as I went down. Ryo called out to be careful, then started to climb down as well. And finally, Bakura went down. As I got to the end of the ladder, I saw that a window ledge was a few feet below me and to my right. That made me feel the slightest bit safer. I lowered myself down onto it slowly and carefully, then knelt on it and began to connect the next ladder to the end of the original one, therefore making it much longer. I looked up at them and smiled.

"Since Ryo has the next ladder, he can go ahead of me." I nodded and waited for him to climb down past the ledge, smiling at him reassuringly as he passed. After he was a few feet beneath the ledge, I smiled confidently and set my hand on one of the rungs of the ladder while keeping my other hand on the ledge, then went to put my foot on a different rung.

That's when I found out that rung was just a bit loose. As I put my foot on it, it spun in place and caused my foot to slip off. Then gravity took over and I felt the terrifying rush of falling. I screamed and grabbed the ledge with both hands, causing my feet to swing away from the ladder. That meant I had nothing to step on and use as a boost to get onto the ledge. As I mentioned, I'm not the thinnest. Which also meant I wasn't the strongest as far as upper body strength went… I was certain that I wouldn't be able to pull myself up, so I held on as tightly as I could and took deep breaths, trying to remain calm so I could think. But the fact that I could feel my long nails and the smooth skin of my fingers scraping against the concrete ledge didn't help… I was slipping!

I heard Ryo yelling for me worriedly, and tried to calm him down. "R-Ryo, don't worry, I'm fine! J-just close your eyes and stay still!"

If I did fall, I didn't want him to see… Just as the very last bit of strength I had in my fingers gave out, I screamed again and started to fall. But before I could even prepare myself for the immense pain of my body and bones crushing as they hit the solid concrete below, I felt someone grab my hand. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up, not knowing who could possibly be my savior.

Whoever I could have imagined, the person who had his eyes shut tightly in concentration and was gripping my hand firmly was _not _him. Bakura was holding onto the ladder tightly and holding me up with one hand. I gasped, fully knowing he couldn't hold me for much longer. I blinked away the shock, then quickly grabbed the ladder rung below him and climbed onto it, holding onto it for dear life.

"B-Bakura… Thank you…" I looked up at in utter thanks, completely aware that I would never be able to repay him. He looked down at me and shrugged.

"Consider it a little thanks for helping break me out of prison. Now climb, woman." He growled and looked at me impatiently.

I scowled up at him. Even after saving my life, he was still a jerk to me. I grumbled to myself and gripped the next rung, then cried out in pain. I looked at my hand. Not only had the concrete torn open the skin on both my hands and caused both of them to bleed all over, but the wrist on the hand that Bakura had caught me with was bent at an awkward angle. I gasped and gulped down the pain. The suddenness and awkward position in which Bakura had had to have grabbed my hand must've broken my wrist...

"What? What is it?" I heard the concern in the voice. At first, I expected it to be Ryo, but then I realized I hadn't yelled loud enough for him to hear. Only… Bakura…

I looked up to see Bakura's concerned gaze locked on me. I looked up at him and something in my brain clicked. Josie was right… Bakura wasn't really a jerk. Well, at least not as big a jerk as he pretended to be. Yet, I still didn't know why he was acting like he hated me. His deep, troubled brown eyes let me know that he was truly worried about me, though.

"O-oh, um," I glanced at my wrist, "I-I think my wrist is broken… But it's okay, I can deal with it." I looked up at him and saw him quickly change his expression back to a hateful scowl.

"You'd better. You're not slowing down this plan, weakling girl…" I did my best to not scowl at him and climbed down. I made a mental note that after we broke out of here, my next goal was to figure out Bakura…

Eventually, we got to the end of the final ladder without any more mishaps. We all jumped onto the ledge of the last window, which put us about seven feet above the ground. Bakura jumped to the ground and landed easily on his feet. Then Ryo jumped down, falling onto his stomach but quickly jumping up. He smiled shyly, then looked up at me. I hadn't mentioned my bloody hands nor my broken wrist to him. I took a deep breath and held my wrist, then jumped, hoping I'd land on my feet. Luckily, I did land on my feet. Unluckily, my balance didn't help me out, and I began to fall. I put my hands out in front of me to catch myself, then instantly winced knowing that pain would shoot through my injured wrist when it hit the ground. Once again, however, no pain came, as both Ryo and Bakura set their hands on my waist to balance me. I smiled at both of them gratefully. I saw Bakura's cheeks slightly grow a pink tint and him scowl as he quickly removed his hands, and Ryo gasp as he saw my injuries. I looked at him and smiled.

"I-it's okay, Ry… Just a slight injury, compared to what could've happened…" I shrugged, and he looked around, a bit frantically. Then he took his jacket off and handed it to Bakura, who ripped both sleeves off. "What are you guys doing?! That's your jacket!"

Ryo smiled and wrapped the sleeves around my hands as bandages. "It's alright. I can handle a little cold as long as you're comfortable." He giggled softly and gently held both of my hands, then began to walk over to the door. Bakura followed along and reached into my jacket pocket, taking out a bobby pin. He knelt down and stuck it in the lock, then picked it. I heard a small click, then watched as he effortlessly opened the door.

"Well, there you go." He looked inside and saw Marik going through our bags, Melvin looking through a book, and Akefia staring at the wall and daydreaming. I raised an eyebrow at Marik and giggled as he quickly put my bag down and smiled sheepishly. As Akefia saw us, he jumped and smiled, running outside.

"One step closer to Josie!" I smiled at him, then started walking over to the little door in the brick wall. "Only one more obstacle lies ahead, then we're out of prison… And into her arms!" He looked at us and blushed lightly. "A-and I'm talking aloud…"

I laughed and looked at the door, then saw that it was locked and connected to a small metal box by a thin black wire. Melvin came up behind me and examined it, setting one of his large hands on my shoulder. My cheeks grew a soft red as I felt his chest press against my back lightly.

He narrowed his eyes at the wire and the box, which had a small red light on it. "This seems to be the security system…" He reached out and opened the box, seeing many more wires and cables inside. He shrugged, then grabbed a thin blue one and pulled on it hard, ripping it.

I gasped and quickly grabbed his hand. "Melvin! You could get electrocuted!" He chuckled and put his other hand over his heart in mock surprise.

"Oh, I didn't know you cared about me so much, lovely…" He laughed, then I noticed that the little red light had gone out. I looked at him astonishment.

"Melvin! How did you know which wire to break?!"

He chuckled, then smiled at me manically. "I guessed."

My eyes widened slightly, and I slowly stepped closer to the door, then nervously opened it and looked out. The only thing I could see was some train tracks, loads of fields and grass, and an old dirt road that went into some thick, dark woods. I smiled happily and stepped outside, then ran over to the road and looked around.

"W-we did it! We broke out of an asylum that has never even had someone attempt an escape before!" They all followed me out and smiled, closing the door behind them. I listened to them speak behind me.

Melvin looked around and raised an eyebrow. "So now what do we do? Where do we go? We can't just walk in a random direction and hope for the best…"

Ryo came closer to me and gently hugged my arm, trembling slightly. "Um… And I'd rather _not _go through the dark, creepy woods if that's good with the rest of you…"

They all nodded in agreement as I turned to them and smiled happily. "Actually, we shouldn't have to walk too far if-" I was cut off by a familiar voice…

"If I got your note?" My older sister walked out of the woods and smiled happily. "Because I did…" I looked at her and smiled excitedly.

"Josie!" Before I could even hold my arms out to hug her, Akefia ran over to her and picked her up, then twirled her around in his arms, his face buried in her shoulder.

"J-Josie! How are you here?! Oh, I don't care, I'm just glad I can hold you again! I'm never letting you go…" With that, they proceeded to start kissing, holding onto each other as if it were the last time they'd ever get to touch one another. I smiled, until I heard Bakura clear his throat.

"I really _don't _hate to interrupt, but how does your sister's return help us not walk?" He raised an eyebrow, and Josie separated her lips from Akefia's long enough to smile and speak quickly.

"Well, Erica wrote me this note, and I followed her instructions." She tossed a piece of paper to Marik, then started kissing Akefia again.

Marik looked at the note, then began to read it aloud, "Josie, I'm really hoping you get this letter before you're too far from the asylum. In fact- I'm depending on that. I've devised a plan to break us out of this asylum. And by us, I mean me, Ryo, Melvin, Marik, and, of course, Akefia. I won't go into detail as that'll only confuse you. But your part is to get off the train, and use all of the money you made to buy some type of car that we can all ride in. Then, drive that car and wait outside the asylum. If my plan works, we'll see you by midnight tomorrow night. If not, go somewhere and wait for us again the night after. If we're still not there, then go home, my plan failed. Hopefully I'll see you soon, Erica."

Everyone looked at me, including Akefia, who was the first to speak. "You… really had this all planned out… Why didn't you tell us?!"

I shrugged and smiled. "I didn't want to get your hopes up if we didn't make it out… Besides, our journey's not over yet. We still have nowhere to go, and I'm guessing almost all of Josie's money is gone." I looked at my sister, who was smiling sheepishly.

"Uh… Well, not exactly… I sorta bought the first truck I saw… You know I love rustic things! And this is a farming area!" We walked into the woods a bit, revealing an old, rusted truck that didn't look like it would even start. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Does it even work?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and set her hands on her hips. "Of course it does! It was cheap, and the nice farmer I bought it from gave me a tool box with it! So, naturally, while I waited for you guys, I popped the hood and fixed it up a bit. It runs really well, it just looks old."

I smiled. Josie and I didn't have the best parents, so we'd learned to take care of ourselves. She excelled in anything that involved cars or building things, while I learned how to manage money and things like that. We both hated cleaning, though…

Josie climbed into the driver's seat and started it, the engine sounding perfectly fine. The boys all looked amazed and I giggled, climbing into the back of the truck. Akefia climbed in the front with Josie, while Bakura, Marik, Melvin, and Ryo got into the back with me, Ryo sitting beside me and shyly smiling. I beamed at him, then looked around. Marik sat down on my other side, then rested his head on my lap and closed his eyes, smiling. Josie began to drive, following the road, as it was the only road for miles.

"We're free…"

"Well," I blushed and gently touched his hair, "not yet… We have to find a place to go. And a way to live. And you guys can't ever get caught again." I looked up and furrowed my eyebrows, then took out my journal again. "Our plan isn't a success, it's incomplete. And we can work on it while Josie figures out where we're going…" I looked around to see Melvin sitting up with his eyes closed, Bakura leaning against the window, Marik's head on my lap, and Ryo's head on my shoulder, all of them asleep.

I laughed softly and looked around at the trees surrounding us, then smiled as the cool wind blew my hair away from my face. I figured I'd be doing most of the planning myself… But I decided to take a nap first. Maybe if I had these guys around all the time, I wouldn't need to be so serious and secretive all the time… Maybe… we could all just be… ourselves. And that made me smile even more as I drifted off to sleep.

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><p><strong>I hope you guys liked it! And if there's any grammatical errors- I apologize. ~ See you later! XD<strong>


	12. So He's Your Choice?

**Okay... So apologies first! 1. I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG. I'm adjusting to a new school, I hope you all understand! But I should be able to write more often now! 2. This chapter's a little short, I apologize for that... And 3. I'll warn you in advance, this chapter's a little girly and mushy. But we'll get into a bit more action later! ~ NOW. Thank you for all of your reviews, they mean the world to me! I try to respond to some, but I don't wanna be annoying or anything... Anyway, onto the story!**

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><p>Chapter 12: So He's Your Choice?<p>

_**Josie's POV~**_

I hummed along to the radio and watched the road happily. My life was going great at that moment! I had my loving little sister close, and the guy I loved even closer. I glanced at Akefia and giggled. He was fast asleep, his head resting lazily on my shoulder, drool creeping out of the corner of his sleepy smile. I planted a gentle kiss on his forehead, then returned my gaze to the road. Sure, I had 5 dangerous, runaway criminals in my possession, but honestly, trouble had always seemed to follow me…

Growing up, I was always that girl in school that was alone, quietly staring off into the vastness of the Earth. I was mysterious, not much was known about me except that I was tough. My bubbly and happy demeanor vanished when I set foot in that high school building. I became a loner, an enigma, _a freak_. I was never smart, I was never popular, no one knew anything about me. Except that I wasn't afraid to speak my mind to _anyone_, I bashed some dumb jock in the face for picking on my kid sister, and I didn't like speaking to the other students.

But I liked having that reputation. I loved the thrill that came when I was pulling Erica away from a group of bullies and outrunning them easily, I quite enjoyed the rush of adrenaline I got when I screamed at the principal for being unfair and judgemental, and I really liked the surge of excitement I got when I pummelled some jerk that deserved some karma. Of course, I'd never harm the innocent, nor gravely injure anyone. I could never stoop to that level.

Anyhow, as I stared down at the content, sweet look on Akefia's face, I knew he'd complete my life. He knew I was some kind of weird, because he was too. We understood each other. He understood that rush of exuberance that I felt occasionally, and the love I had for it. He would cause my life to be abnormal, _we were running from an insane asylum as those very thoughts danced through my brain… _And I loved it. I didn't want a calm, boring, safe life. I liked that trouble, that danger. And I loved Akefia. And that was the only definite action I needed.

"Hm?..." He stirred in his sleep suddenly, as if the end of my thought process has woken him. "Josie?... Where are we?..."

As he looked out the window, I laughed softly. "Almost to my hometown, you guys had a pretty long slumber… Heck, everyone in the back is still sound asleep!" I giggled, earning a chuckle from him.

"Why are we going to your town?... Isn't that dangerous?..."

I shrugged. "Well, Erica and I need to grab some essentials from our house. After that, we'll get out of here as fast as possible."

"But won't someone recognize you and ask what you're up to?"

"Nah," I shook my head, unruly white hair bouncing all over the place, "Erica and I weren't exactly 'popular'. The only people who would know us are my parents, Emilie and Josh. As long as they don't see Erica or you guys, we should be fine… Right now, all I need to do is get in our house, grab some things, come back out, and hopefully not be noticed. After that, Erica with start to actually plan something. I know she already has some ideas though, so don't worry about us having nowhere to go."

Akefia nodded and grinned, kissing my cheek. "Okay, whatever you think is best, Jo. As long as I'm with you…"

I giggled and drove up to a small bunch of trees, barely able to be considered "woods". Parking the truck and opening the door, I stepped out and gave Akefia a small kiss on the lips, motioning for him to stay in the vehicle. After quietly closing the door, I stepped onto a small path in between the trees and began to walk toward my destination. I knew exactly where this trail went. After all, I was the one who made it.

This grove was behind the house I had resided in for my entire life. Erica and I had made this pathway when I was around 13, mainly to get away from our parents and enter our own world of pretend, where we could be anyone we wanted to be. We had continued to maintain it, it was where we came to do homework and discuss issues that were happening in school or with our lives.

As I continued down the slightly overgrown walkway, I saw the dark house that contained almost all of my belongings. It wasn't the biggest house, we weren't rich. My mom was a secretary, and my dad was a police officer. The house itself was a dull blue or grayish color, with a dark gray, shingled roof and an upstairs. Four steps led up to the black front door, which was in between two large windows. A porch swing, various plants, and railing pretty much made up the front porch, and there was only one window on the upper half of the front of the house. However, I chose to enter through the back door, ignoring the front of my home altogether. I took out my key and quietly opened the door, entering as carefully as I could…

I climbed the stairs silently and smiled when I reached the door to my bedroom. I walked in and instantly went over to my closet. Opening the door, I beamed as I saw two large duffel bags in the back, buried under some clothes.

Erica and I had planned to run away since I was 16, but had decided against it until I was old enough to get a real job. I'd taken every single odd job I could over the years and saved every penny, yet still thought it was the best option. Why run away though? Well, we both knew our parents cared for us and loved us, just… not that much. We pretty much took care of ourselves anyway. My mother and father weren't ready to be parents when they had me, and even more unready when they had my younger sister. They were always focused on work to pay the bills, and almost never focused on us. I had started buying groceries and clothes for Erica and I when I was fourteen, and started making my own clothes when I was 15. Erica cooked for the whole family at every meal, I fixed the cars and every other problem with the house, and we both took turns cleaning. Our parents would give us a compliment and a hug every now and then, but we both just felt like we could do better on our own. Especially because, when my mother or father got angry at anything, that little bit of affection they showed diminished completely. And work and money and relationship issues angered my parents **a lot. **

But enough about that. I grabbed the bags and walked around the room, picking up a few more things such as Erica's penguin bank, a few pieces of jewelry and clothing, and a few blankets. Stuffing them into the bag, I picked up a few pillows and held my breath, then reached under my mattress and felt around. Grinning when I came across it, I quickly pulled out my savings. I had taken small jobs since I was 10 years old, I had quite a lot saved. About $8,000. I held the money close and snuck back downstairs, making sure that everything looked how it did when I had left. After I shut and locked the door, I ran back to the path and sped down it, slowing down when I reached the truck. Akefia was standing beside the back of the truck, listening as Erica spoke to him and watching as she wrote in her journal.

"I was thinking that we could buy a small shelter right now, just like, a roof and some walls. That's only temporary, of course, because I was hoping you, Josie, and Melvin could get jobs and start saving money while the rest of us take small jobs to try to help. Then we can buy a decent sized apartment somewhere far away and start living…"

I smiled and tossed her bag onto her lap, then tossed mine into the front seat. "How about we skip that first part?" I climbed into the truck and started it, Akefia climbing in beside me with a suspicious gaze locked onto my face. I handed him the $8000 and began driving, not saying a word. He stared at it in awe, stuttering a bit before I cut him off with laughter.

"I've been saving up for a few years. Now we just have to find an apartment that won't be too hard to manage and can somehow fit 7 people…" I shrugged.

After that, I began to drive. The first thing I wanted to do was get as far away as my parent's house as I felt necessary. After a solid day of driving, I stopped to fill up the gas tank. At this point, everyone was awake. I smiled as I heard my younger sister's authoritative voice. She'd metaphorically gained her voice in the past couple of weeks…

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><p><em><strong>Erica's POV~<strong>_

"With the money Josie has, I think we can afford a small apartment!" I nodded firmly as I announced my plan to everyone. Basically, we were all going to just start living now. However, that also meant I had to get used to living with 5 crazy guys… I glanced around at everyone.

Akefia was staring at Josie dreamily as she pumped the gas, and she was completely oblivious to the obvious trance her simple presence put him in. I giggled softly, realizing how truly adorable they were together. I smiled as my thoughts bounded onto the other four guys around me. Marik was in the front of the truck, playing with the radio and trying to find a station we all agreed on. Melvin and Bakura were chatting, though I wasn't sure what their topic was. And Ryo was looking through the plan I had written in my journal. Oddly enough, he was blushing too… And that's when the thought struck me.

"Ryo! Are you looking through my journal?!" I ran over and took the small book from him, a deep crimson finding its way to my face. He looked up at me in embarrassment, then down at his feet in shame.

"I-I'm sorry, Erica… I just wanted to see if w-what Bakura read earlier was true…" I softened and slowly handed the journal back.

"Hey, it's okay… I just didn't want you to see because… well… some of the things in there… are about… you…" I took a quick breath and tried to change the topic quickly. "So! Let's get moving, shall we?!" I laughed nervously and quickly walked over to my sister, not noticing Ryo perk up and eagerly open my journal once again…

Josie chuckled as I approached her. "You have the biggest crush on Ryo, don't you?" Before I could protest, she continued, "So he's your choice, eh?"

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and looked up at her. "What do you mean 'my choice'? My choice of what?"

Glancing at me with a look that said "Oh my gosh Erica, it's obvious", she replied, "Your choice for being your boyfriend, duh. You have to choose between Melvin, Marik, Bakura, and Ryo, right? So you pick Ryo, huh? I woulda bet on Bakura, honestly…"

My mouth dropped open in shock. She thought that I could just choose between them? None of them even liked me! Even if they did, she thought I'd choose Bakura?! _Bakura?! _ I shook off my surprise and gained my bearings.

"Jo, they don't like me! Especially not Bakura!" This only earned a laugh from her and a pout from me.

"Honestly, Erica, you're the most naïve girl I've ever met sometimes…" She rolled her eyes as I frowned at her. "Okay, _hypothetically, _if you had to choose between those four guys, who would you choose?"

I blushed lightly and bit my lip. I wanted to say Ryo, but at the same time, I couldn't bring myself to not say Melvin or Marik's name either. I shook my head and folded my arms. "None of them. I have more important things to worry about than hypothetical scenarios that would never happen."

Josie mumbled something and climbed into the truck, then we were off again. After a few minutes of pouting, I decided to sleep again, simply because I had nothing else to do. I went to scoot closer to Ryo, but as I did so, the truck hit a pothole, and I tumbled into the opposite direction. _Onto Melvin's lap._ I squeaked and quickly went to move, yet couldn't as two strong arms snaked their way around me. I peered up at the tall Egyptian's smirking, tan face. An evil chuckle escaped his lips.

"I knew you'd end up here eventually, lovely…" I trembled slightly as something in his eyes lit up in a devious way. I began to stutter nervously while trying to move away as fast as I could. But, once again, I was halted. This time, however, it was by a soothing whisper in my ear and a pair of gentle lips brushing my earlobe lightly.

"Please don't be scared… You know I'd never hurt you, Erica…" I looked up into his saddened violet eyes for only a moment before he turned away. He arms dropped back down to his sides, and he continued to speak softly, only loud enough for me to barely hear. "I'm sorry…"

I watched his face for a few moments. The way his gaze was cast down at his own reflection in the shiny exterior of the truck, the way his eyes seemed to be searching for something in his own face, the way his expression was one that desperately wanted closure, wanted repentance. Those few moments were very short, as he soon folded his arms and shifted his eyes up to look at the trees, infamous expressionless look returning to his features. I stared at his face for just a bit longer before slowly touching one of his arms.

He turned only his eyes, not his head, to watch me curiously. Ever so slowly, I lifted his arm and climbed under it. Gently snuggling up against his muscular chest, I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder, my head fitting perfectly in the space between his shoulder, chest, and neck. I closed my eyes and attempted to find sleep, trying as hard as I could to choke down the nerves that were relentlessly rushing up my stomach and throat. My face probably looked like a tomato, and I swore my heart was beating so loud that I actually worried for a split second that my aunt would hear it and try to find us.

Just as I was about to rethink my actions and move away from him in order to spare us both an incredible amount of awkwardness, I felt an amazing warmth against my back. I opened my eyes to find that he'd once again wrapped his arms around me, only this time gently and lovingly. I looked up at his face in surprise, only to find that he had his eyes closed, a broad smile resting on his lips.

I closed my own eyes again and smiled more genuinely than I had in quite a while. But after a few short seconds, the smile faltered a bit. Something felt just a bit off… I opened one of my eyes and looked around. Ryo and Marik were both sleeping peacefully and happily. So what was wrong? That's when my eyes gazed upon Bakura. He was sitting at the end of the truck by himself, his long, messy white hair billowing about in the cold wind. But the unsettling part was the tears that stained his pale, soft cheeks.

Bakura was crying? Why? What happened? What was he thinking about? My stomach twisted as a stab of sorrow shot through my body, and I had a massive urge to reach out and comfort him. I knew that he'd simply push me away, though… However, as I cuddled further into Melvin's warm embrace, I couldn't help but think: Why did my heart ache so badly at the sight of Bakura being sad?

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><p><strong>So that's it! I hope you guys enjoyed it, please review if you did! ~ Ooo, Bakura x Erica feels... Haha, who do you guys think Erica should end up with? (I personally like her with them all at the same time, but I don't think that's how relationships work... XD) See ya soon!<strong>


	13. Scars

**What's this? A new chapter already? I got my inspiration back a little! Thanks to you guys reviewing. (^w^)**

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><p>Chapter 13: Scars<p>

_**Josie's POV~**_

After driving for three more days solid, stopping only to eat, use the restroom, and buy gas, I finally decided that we were far enough away. We decided to sleep in the truck for the time being, searching for apartments after we all had a good, long rest. That meant that Erica, Melvin, Ryo, Bakura, and Marik were all scrawled out across each other in the truck bed, while Akefia and I put blankets over their sleeping forms.

"Good thing we ended up in Georgia, otherwise it'd be too cold to let them sleep out here…" I smiled as I placed a pillow under Melvin's head. I noted that Erica had fallen asleep with her head on his chest again, both beaming in their slumber. So was he her choice? That's also when I noticed Ryo and Marik were both nonchalantly hugging her legs in their sleep. I laughed softly. This was a choice she had to make for herself, but even I knew it'd be an incredibly tough one for her. Just as I was about to get back into the front of the truck, I glimpsed something out of the corner of my eye.

Bakura was curled up in the corner of the truck, clutching his blanket close against him and a scowl engraved into his features. The thing that caught my gaze, however, was Erica's hand. Her chipping, purple nail polish and soft skin made me sure it was hers, and as I watched her, I realized she continuously reached out for Bakura, but pulled her hand back just as she was about to touch him. Curiously, I slowly and carefully pushed Bakura just a bit closer to her, causing her hand to come in contact with him. Once she felt her fingertips brush his pale arm, she gently placed her entire hand on his arm. Both of them still sleeping soundly, Bakura's face contorted a few times. At first, he flinched and acted as if her touch was melting his skin. Then, after a brief moment, he slowly relaxed against her touch and even began to move his own hand onto hers. I smiled, but that smile quickly disappeared as his own small smile then changed into deep scowl, and he rapidly moved her hand and rolled over.

I narrowed my eyes at him. Was Erica right? Did he really despise her? I heard a low, rumbling growl come from within him, and my eyes widened slightly. He really did hate her… I shrugged as I walked back up to the front of the truck. Akefia was already laying down on the soft upholstery, using his robe as a blanket. I paused to marvel at his well-chiseled body, then proceeded to climb up and lay beside him, my own tall and slender body having to be completely pressed up against his. He smiled down at me and covered me with his robe, then wrapped his arms around me and brought me even closer against him.

As I giggled softly and nuzzled myself against him, I rested my head on his shoulder and looked up at him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and kissed his collarbone, then traced the edges of his muscles with my finger.

"Hey Akefia? You know Bakura pretty well, right? I mean, you are brothers…" I looked up at him, a gleam of curiosity passing from my eyes to his.

He shrugged and nodded, smiling and placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Well, we're kinda the same person… But anyway, I know him well, yes. Why do you ask?"

I smiled at his soft accent, then continued to ask the burning question on my mind. "Why does he hate my little sister so much?"

Akefia sighed softly and smiled tiredly and knowingly. "Oh, he doesn't hate her. He hates everyone. Why? Because he can't let go of the past nor move on." Chuckling softly, he persevered once he saw the confusion radiating from my face. "Let's just say he had a rough childhood… He… had to watch his entire family get murdered, and his entire town burn down."

My eyes widened and I gasped softly. "What?!"

He smiled in a sad sort of way. "Yeah, you understand a little better now? Well, after that he was forced to take care of himself, which resulted in a lot of things he shouldn't be proud of. And what came out of that was a lot of people hating him. He's convinced himself that he's on his own in the world and that there isn't a single person who doesn't hate him. He's softer with me and Ryo, because we've both had rough experiences too, but he's still not the nicest brother… I used to be the same way as he is, until I met you…"

He blushed lightly and caressed my cheek, planting a sweet kiss on my lips. I smiled shyly as I felt the warmth of his lips and hand on my skin. But he knew that although his answer explained a lot, I wasn't completely satisfied. He chuckled softly and ran his fingers through my hair.

"And you wanna know why he shows so much hatred to Erica in particular? Well, I can only give what I think is the truth, considering Bakura won't admit to anything. But I think that, very deep down, Bakura's extremely depressed and troubled, along with immensely lonely. But he also thinks that if he opens up to someone, all that will happen is they'll leave him and betray him. Then he'll be even sadder and more lonely. He pretends to hate everyone to protect himself. In reality though, he's sorry about everything he's done and desperately needs a friend. So the reason he hates Erica? The first reason is that she stands up to him, and points out all of the things he should feel bad for and reasons to hate himself. When he actually already sees all of it and tries to ignore it. The second reason is that she's someone who could make him open up, she wants to help him. I think he may be falling for her too, which scares him. He thinks that she'll hurt him if he lets her know the true him."

I nodded slowly as my brain devoured this information, then I smiled at Akefia. Slowly, I reached up and touched his face, then giggled. "I didn't know I had a psychologist for a boyfriend!" This earned a loud, lively laugh from him. I giggled softly and rolled over so my back was against his chest, thinking over everything he'd told me and just enjoying his company…

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><p><em><strong>Erica's POV, the next morning~<strong>_

As I awoke, I rubbed my eyes and yawned, slowly lifting my head and looking around. I peered down at Melvin and smiled shyly, feeling my face heat up. Ryo and Marik were both cuddled against my legs, I suspected it was for warmth. And Bakura?...

I turned my gaze towards the area where he'd fallen into slumber the night before and was surprised to find he wasn't there. I assumed he'd walked somewhere to get food, mentally reminding myself to yell at him for wandering off alone. I stood up and grabbed my bag. Searching through it, I found a black tank top, a pair of ripped jeans, and neon green converse high tops. As I took them from the bag, I jumped down from the truck and started walking to a nearby gas station. Our plan for today was to search for an apartment, and I knew a few places that would be suitable. I walked into the store and into the restroom, where I locked the door and changed into my proper clothes. As I glanced at myself in the mirror, I realized how badly we probably all needed a shower…

I put my hair into a side braid and held it in place with a green ribbon and black ponytail twisted together. It tied the outfit together, I couldn't stand when my outfits didn't match. As I washed my face a bit in the water, I glanced at my watch. 6:00 AM. It'd probably be a while before anyone else woke up…

Smiling, I went to actually use the bathroom just as I heard a loud, terrified scream. My eyes widened. The shout was female, and just outside the door. I knew Josie's scream, and that wasn't it, but still, it put me on edge as I kicked open the door and looked around.

My eyes widened. In front of me was the young cashier, probably around 18 and female, kneeling down in terror as a maniac with a large knife stood above her threateningly. The criminal before me had a red t-shirt over his head, two eye holes cut into the front so he could see. I gasped and quickly ran over, elbowing the attacker's wrist and knocking the knife out of his hand, taking him by surprise. I whirled around and went to remove the shirt masking his face, when I looked into familiar brown, evil eyes. I gasped as I realized the very shirt was familiar as well, as it was _my own._

Bakura! My mind was screeching the name over and over again, but I did my best not to shout his name aloud. Swiftly, I turned him around and held his arms firmly against his back, him not struggling much. I looked down at the girl and smiled sweetly, making up an excuse right then and there.

"I am SO sorry, miss. You see, this man here is my brother. He, um, has… Multiple Personality Disorder… Uh, yeah…" I nodded confidently and looked at her with a smile, "He believes he's a criminal on the top ten most wanted list for the FBI." I quickly faked a laugh. "Forgive me, it's my fault for not watching him. C'mon, um, _Charles_…"

Quickly, I pulled Bakura outside and kept pulling him until we were deep in the woods, ignoring the cashier's confused and dumbfounded expression. As soon as I deemed us far enough away, I ripped the shirt off his head and glared at him as if he was the very essence of my hatred for any and everything.

"What the heck were you thinking?! You're such an idiot, what were you doing?! We just broke you out of a freaking _insane asylum_! Are you trying to get us all caught over something so stupid?!"

He folded his arms and scowled down at the ground. "I wouldn't have gotten caught. I made sure to disable all the cameras, cover my face and hair, I took all the necessary precautions. I just craved a little trouble." He smirked at me smugly.

My eyes widened and my head practically exploded in rage. "You don't get it, you thoughtless thief! You say you took the necessary precautions, but you can't get it through your thick skull that _none _of that was necessary! We're fine, we have a plan, we're in the clear! But you're gonna go mess that up! For _everyone_! This isn't just you and I we're talking about! You could be screwing up your brothers' futures! Marik and Melvin's! _My _sister's! And that is NOT okay! What were you even after anyway, trying to steal a key chain or something?!"

His troubled brown eyes bore into the ground below and his form wavered, if only for a moment. He then mumbled something inaudibly. I cried out in exasperation.

"What?! What was it, Bakura?!"

That's when he snapped. His eyes lit up in a fiery rage I'd never experienced, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"I said I was trying to help! I know I'm useless and can't earn money any other way! I thought I could help by getting you guys some money!"

I softened slightly at his words, already beginning to feel guilt eat away at my insides. He was in the same boat as me. I didn't know how I was going to help everyone at all, and it made me feel bad. I hadn't been able to come up with a single solution. And although Bakura's method of helping was unorthodox and wrong, he had at least tried _something._

I bit my lip and looked down at the ground. "I-I'm sorry, Bakura, I didn't think-"

"Oh, save it!" I looked up in time to see him reaching for the knife again. I didn't know where he had gotten it, perhaps stolen it from a store earlier that morning? No matter, all I knew was he was scaring me, and I began backing away from him.

"Bakura, what are you-"

"Shut up already!" He matched my steps, moving closer to me and lifting the knife, his eyes still containing that wicked gleam. "I'm tired of hearing your words! All you do is degrade me! I know I'm horrible, I don't need Little Miss Goodie Two Shoes telling me it! I'm done trying help you, I can do fine on my own!" As he backed me up against a tree, his face lowered slightly so I had nowhere to look except his malicious eyes that seemed to shoot hatred into my very being. "You have no idea how much I absolutely detest you…"

Those words cut deep, and I felt hot tears prick my eyes and threaten to spill over. I spoke a single word softly.

"Bakura…"

"Shut _up!_" With that, he raised the perfectly sharpened blade and began to plunge it into the fabric of my shirt, ripping through and piercing my skin, without even giving me time to look away. At least, that was his _intention._ What actually happened, however, shocked the both of us.

Just as the knife was about to come into contact with my body, my eyes widened as I saw a head of straight, blue and white hair jump in front of me, taking the blow for me. Straight, blue and white hair? I gasped.

"_Josie!_" Because of the angle at which she had jumped, she landed on the ground a few feet away from us, fresh, crimson blood gushing from her face. Rapidly, I ran to her side and knelt beside her. "Josie! Where's the cut?! Hang in there!" I searched her face for the wound, but she had both of her hands covering it…

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><p><em><strong>Josie's POV~<strong>_

The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was undoubtedly _unbearable._ But I was immensely glad I had taken the hit instead of Erica. The knife would've given her a grave injury. While I was in a great deal of pain, I knew that I would live and be perfectly fine. The blade had made one long cut down across my left eye. Luckily, however, I had been smart enough to close my eyes when jumping in front of her, so most of the blade had hit only the lower part of my eyebrow and most of my cheek. It did slice open a bit of my eyelid, but nothing too serious. I'd probably have a scar for a large portion of my life, if not forever, though. The important thing was that I had saved my sister, I was pretty sure my actual eyeball wasn't sliced at all, and that I had stopped Bakura from doing something even more horrible than what he had done to me. Wait… Bakura…

"Erica," I took a breath and tried to speak through the pain, "get Bakura…"

By the quickness of her breath and the sniffling I heard, she was crying. "H-he ran off… Why do you want him, Jo?... H-he just stabbed you, for crying out loud!" She began to sob, and I chuckled softly.

"T-then why don't you hate him, Erica?..."

"W-what?..."

"He just cut your big sister, yet you don't hate him, do you?..." I took a few deep breaths, deciding to try not to talk too much more. Erica was silent for a moment, then I felt her bury her face in my stomach.

"J-Josie, why don't I hate him?!"

I giggled softly and held my eye, trying not to get blood on her. "Cause you love him, silly… And don't tell me I'm wrong and that you could never love him, he's just got a lot of baggage. We all have scars, Erica." I laughed again softly when I felt her body stiffen against my stomach. I knew she wouldn't verbally agree with me, but I think emotionally, she knew well that she could never hate him, which was love in my book. But before she could argue, I coughed out two final sentences.

"I want you to go find Bakura. Akefia can take care of me…"

"What?! Why would-..." I smiled slightly as I knew that she wouldn't go against me when I was injured. "O-okay, Josie… AKEFIA!" With that, she stood up and ran off when she saw Akefia running to her.

Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, he saw me. "J-Josie!" He ran over to me and knelt quickly, gently lifting my head onto his lap and moving my hand ever so slightly. I felt him grimace when he saw the wound, but before I could answer, my mind shut down and everything went black.

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><p><strong>That's it! I'll see you guys soon! Remember to review! I wanna know who you guys ship Erica with, and what you think will happen to Josie!<strong>


	14. Findings

**...I'm ashamed. ~ YES, I've been gone for over four months, YES, I left it on a cliffy, YES, I'm a terrible person. BUT I'M BACK! And I promise to finish this story!**

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><p>Chapter 14: Findings<p>

**Josie's POV~**

I awoke later with a start, my vision blurred and my memory hazy. As I sat up slowly, I placed my hand on my head to help steady my dizzied thoughts. However, as my fingers came into contact with my left temple, they grazed something soft and also smooth. I furrowed my eyebrows, then gasped as the memories came rushing back all at once. _Erica. Bakura. Knife. Akefia. Eye. Cut. __**Pain.**_

Pain… Why was that word sticking out the most in my still blurred mind? Sure, getting my face sliced open had hurt an awful lot, but I didn't understand why that word was giving me an uneasy yet pleasant feeling. I didn't even feel any… Wait, that was it! I had just had a blade thrust across the skin of my face, yet I felt no pain at that moment. The last thing I remembered was a searing pain and Akefia's caring features… So why didn't my eye hurt at all?

"Josie!" I jumped to attention. In my thoughtful muddle of confusion, I hadn't even noticed that I was indeed in the front of the trunk and that the door had opened.

Akefia stood before me, worry and relief inscribed into his expression at the same time. I gazed past him for a few seconds, realizing only then that the natural darkness of the earth was overcoming the light. Night was approaching fast.

"Thank god you're okay! When you blacked out and didn't wake up, I started preparing for the worst…" I smiled at him love-filled rambling as he pulled me into a gentle but firm embrace. I chuckled softly and stopped him.

"Hold it, love. My recollection of the events that just took place are fuzzy. Can you explain?" He beamed at me, probably still just thankful I was awake and alright.

"Of course! Though, I don't know much... All I know is that Erica yelled for me, I came, saw you with billows of blood gushing from your face, and that you blacked out in my arms before you could explain anything. But Erica ran off before I could ask. She looked as if she were crying, but that's to be expected. Anyway, I carried you back here, and luckily Melvin, Ryo, and I were pretty good at getting you patched up. Marik would've been too, except we needed him to go search for Erica and Bakura. We put some medicine on your cut, then covered it with cotton and tape. Your actual eye is fine, but the cut around it should probably be treated by a real doctor. Oh, and we gave you some pain relievers."

So that was why I didn't hurt at all… His story jogged my memory, and I sprang to my feet in front of him. "So where are Erica and Bakura? Did Marik find them?"

Akefia looked at me gravely and shook his head. "After we tended to your wound, Ryo and Melvin joined the search for both of them. None of them have returned…"

My eyes widened and my heartbeat quickened. Although I didn't want it to, my mind went straight for the worst ideas possible. What if an animal had injured Bakura or Erica and they were alone in the woods in agony? What if Erica had located Bakura, and he ended up murdering her? Oh, it was all my fault for sending her after him… I took a deep breath and gazed up at my lover's worried yet perplexed expression. I had some major explaining to do as we entered the hunt for my little sister...

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><p><em><strong>Erica's POV~<strong>_

My heart beat almost as fast as the tears streamed down my face. And the tears ran almost as fast as my legs did. I didn't know how long I'd ran, nor how long I'd been running. There was only one main thing on my mind. _Bakura… _The trees whispered his name, and the unsettling feeling in my stomach told me that if I didn't find him soon, I would never find him again.

I had been yelling his name for so long that it felt as if I had swallowed a dozen razor blades, then washed them down with fire. I had almost completely lost my voice, so now my desperate screams seemed like mere murmurs, and the pull of tiredness that I had been ignoring effortlessly was starting to creep up unexpectedly, like a recurring nightmare that you hadn't had since you were a child: Forgotten for some time, but always there, waiting. As I decided that a break would do me some good, I slowed to a stop. I had made some bad choices in my life, but that was the worst one by far.

The very second I'd ceased running, I remembered that I hadn't played a sport nor really done much vigorous physical activity at all since the fifth grade. I fell to my knees, my legs, stomach, lower back, and feet aching to match the strain my throat felt. I looked around me as I gasped for breath, surprised at how dark it had gotten. _How long have I been running?... _

I looked down at my watch, then dropped my jaw in shock. 7:30. I'd been running for over 12 hours?! I shook my head and laid down on the ground, contemplating how simply implausible this information was. First of all, I am extremely unfit, I could probably jog slowly for an hour and feel as if death was setting in, let alone 12! Secondly, Bakura surely wouldn't have traveled this far either, he would've hidden or stopped several hours ago.

However, the more I thought it over, the more sense it made. I recalled that my pace hadn't been a dead sprint for my entire journey, I'd slowed to a jog and walk several times, just not realized it. I also remembered stopping multiple times to search an area I thought Bakura might've hidden. Also, upon reviewing the former thief's personality in my mind, I remembered that he was just as stubborn as me, if not more so. It was extremely possible he'd run all this time. A last fact was something my dad had said to me when I was a young child while Josie and I had been discussing one of those survival shows. "You do crazy things when panic and exhilaration set in…"

My eyes widened again as I finally came to an acceptance with the incredible feat I'd just accomplished. I smiled slightly at myself, but then lost my small amount of happiness oh so quickly. I looked around. I was alone in the woods with no cell phone nor any way to contact anyone. I didn't know where I was, and I was so exhausted that I was almost certain I'd collapse if I took another step. It was getting darker, and soon all the more dangerous animals would be coming out of their hiding places. No one really knew of my existence other than my sister and our asylum friends, who had to keep hidden, meaning they couldn't inform the police or fire department of my disappearance. And, most importantly, I hadn't found Bakura.

I felt the warmth of tears beginning to form behind my eyes. I was alone, hungry, hopeless, and horribly despondent. My only consolation was that Josie would be okay, and all of the guys besides Bakura would be alright too. I knew I couldn't move until I had rested, and my throat was so sore that I couldn't call out for help. So I formed a plan that I had very little hope in. I would sleep here, and if I somehow made it through the night without being mangled and eaten by an animal, I would do my best to get back to the town. Even if Josie and the others had already left, I could find something to eat in a dumpster or _something._ I wouldn't give up though. Never.

Just as I began to close my eyes and let the comforting feel of sleep overtake me, I heard a voice from somewhere in the distance. I couldn't be sure, but I thought that the voice was screaming out my name. I had almost no energy left in me, so I did the very last thing I could. I screamed. It sounded like a cat trying to give birth to a bowling ball, but there was sound. But that's all I could do before I fell into a deep, deep sleep.

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><p><em><strong>Marik's POV~<strong>_

I had been running for who knows how long, and I was on the verge of exhaustion. Although I'm the clumsiest person I've ever seen, I'm surprisingly pretty fit and athletic, so I was able to sprint, jog, and walk for quite some time. I still hadn't found Erica, but I refused to stop until I located her and brought her back safely. Even though I know she'd never go for a guy like me, I couldn't help but have a massive crush on her. There was just something about her that was so… different. And that was good. Not only did I think she was very pretty, her personality was what truly attracted me to her. She was so sweet and down-to-earth without even realizing it. She cared for me, and all of the other guys for that matter, even though we'd done horrible things and were in an insane asylum. I didn't know much about her past, but Josie told me it was rough. And yet she still remained strong and kind to _everyone_? I thought that was incredible. She just made me feel… happy, and… hopeful. And that's something I hadn't felt in a long time. So I'd stop at nothing to find her.

My thighs and back had been burning for quite some time, but it was beginning to get unbearable. I had yet to tell anyone about my past, but, because of it, my back got sore easily and often. All this running was starting to take a toll on it, and just as I was about to wait for Melvin or Ryo to catch up before continuing, I decided to call out to Erica one last time.

"Erica! Please, answer me! ERICA!"

I sighed as no answer came, but then jumped as a strange noise echoed through the trees. The noise didn't sound like Erica's normal, tough but sweet voice, yet it did sound feminine and human, so I instantly began to dart in the direction of the sound, forgetting the previous pain I had felt. I yelled several more times to no avail, but that noise was filling my entire body with hope.

After sprinting for a good five minutes, I saw her. She appeared to be uninjured, just fast asleep on the ground. I ran over to her and knelt down beside her, lifting her head onto my lap. Upon examining her body (blushing a bit in the process), I found no wounds. I sighed in relief, then shook her gently. After a while, her eyelids fluttered open just enough to peer up at my face, then gracefully closed again.

"M-Marik?... You came for me?..." Her voice was raspy and barely there, but audible.

"I'm right here, Erica! Don't worry! What happened to you? Where's Bakura? Are you alright?" My breaths were quick and nervous, but the slight smile that spread across her cheeks calmed me.

"Lots of running… No water… Trying to find Bakura... Just peachy…" With that, she rested against me and fell back into her slumber. I bit my lip, holding back a smile. Ignoring the warm feeling that was welling up in my heart, I looked around. Even though Melvin and I had our own bodies, our minds were still partially linked, so I could send him some thoughts if I needed to.

"_Melvin… I found her… She's safe, but needs help…"_

After describing our location to him and him assuring me they'd get there as quick as possible, I attempted to carry Erica a bit. She was relatively easy to carry, but the burning in my back and thighs had returned, so I chose to rest along with her. I laid her down on the ground gently, then collapsed down beside her, pulling her closer to me and hugging her against my chest. She smiled, causing me to as well. I looked around as a deep blush set into my cheeks. Leaning down slowly, I placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Hehehe… No one will ever know…" I laughed mischievously to myself, then closed my eyes and let my head fall to rest against hers.

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><p><em><strong>Josie's POV~<strong>_

So apparently Akefia, Bakura, and Ryo plus Melvin and Marik have some sort of telepathy thing where they can speak to each other in their minds. That's helpful.

Akefia and I had been jogging through the woods when he stopped suddenly, grabbing my hand and starting to pull me back towards the truck.

"What are you doing, Akefia?!"

"Ryo told me in his mind that Marik told Melvin he found Erica! They know her location and want us to bring the truck! I'll explain more later!" I blinked, then shrugged and followed along.

Currently, after driving for maybe an hour or so and picking up Melvin and Bakura, we'd finally come to the area Marik had described to Melvin. After parking on the side of the road, Melvin jumped down and ran into the woods. Ryo, on the other hand, stayed in the back, eyebrows furrowed and concentrating on nothing in particular. Akefia and I decided to stay to in the truck in case we needed to drive again quickly.

After several, agonizingly long minutes, Melvin came back to the truck, carrying a fast asleep Erica and walking with a tired-looking Marik. He brought my sister to the truck and set her down very gently in the back of the truck, then smiled at me, surprisingly all of us.

He uttered two words, then climbed into the back with her and played with her hair, her head on his lap. "She's okay."

Marik leaned in towards me, looking more than a little jealous, and whispered, "He's never worried about another person's well-being before, he's probably not gonna let her out of his sight for a couple days."

I nodded and laughed softly, then glanced back at Ryo. "Hey Ryo? You okay there, bud?" He hadn't moved at all since we'd arrived. I'm not even sure he heard my words, but suddenly he bounced up, his eyes wide.

He opened his mouth to say something, but at the exact same time, Erica sat up unexpectedly, suddenly wide awake and eyes open.

"Bakura is just down the road!" With that, she sprang to her feet and jumped over the side of the trunk, running down the road. Ryo blinked, then nodded and carefully climbed down over the side, chasing after her.

"W-what she said!"

We all looked at each other in confusion, then I hit the gas and followed after her. Once I had parked for a second time, I jumped out of the trunk and ran after Ryo and Erica into the forest, the other guys following close behind me.

When I finally caught up to them, I saw an image that will forever be burned into my mind...

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><p><strong>5 months later and I still can't write! XD And since a lot of the (former) reviewers shipped Erica with everyone except Marik, I decided to stir it up a bit! Hehe... Anyway, review and tell me your thoughts! Bye!<strong>


	15. Change of Heart

**Author's Note: So... Hey... Long time, no see, anyone who's still out there…OKAY I'M SORRY IT'S BEEN MONTHS. But I do promise you, this story will get finished soon. It may take me a few months, but don't give up hope on me! It'll get done! Anyway, review (please don't yell at me!) and enjoy my (still not very good) story!**

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><p>Chapter 15:<p>

**Josie's POV~**

As I sprinted up to the small clearing in the forest, I saw him. He was slumped over in a heap, bawling his eyes out and breathing heavily, his chest heaving with every ragged breath. It looked like he'd been crying for hours. But that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was the fresh cuts on his arms and stomach. Blood was starting to crust over the wounds in some places, while others were still dripping with the saddening, crimson liquid. I covered my mouth in surprise, thankful I only had one eye to look at the devastating scene before me. Before I could say anything, my little sister was already by his side, tears flowing freely and unashamedly from her guilty, grievous eyes. It was the most I'd seen her cry since she was in Kindergarten.

"Bakura! What did you do?! Oh my gosh, are you alright?!" She brushed away enough tears so that she could actually see him, then she pulled him up gently into her arms. I was slightly awed at how gentle yet firm her embrace was. Bakura didn't answer, just rested in her arms while looking up at her face with melancholy eyes. They didn't even have a trace of scorn or hate in them, just sadness.

He mumbled only three words before he blacked out. "I'm… s-sorry… Erica…"

His voice was coarse and scratchy, implying that he'd been crying for quite some time. The sorrow and sincerity in his voice broke Erica. She buried her face in his dirty, white hair and sobbed, screeching about how it was her fault and how she should've been nicer to him. I scowled and grabbed her shoulders. Although I liked that my sister was finally showing some emotion, this was _not _the emotion I wanted to elicit from her.

"Erica Hartman! Would you quit your wailing and listen to me?! This wasn't your fault! Not by a longshot! Bakura's had it rough his whole life, this was all of his inner sorrow and rage coming out all at once. You just made him face his problems instead of burying them under hatred and malice, and that's good! Now you can either sit here and keep crying like a pathetic little girl, or you can get up into action and save him like I know _my _baby sister would!"

She looked up at me with a look I'd seen only one other time in my life. It was when she was six, and our parents had gotten into a huge argument about work or something. Erica had tried to separate the fight the way little kids do, with hugs and kisses. But instead of returning her sweet little embraces, my mother pushed her away, and she ended up slamming her head back against the wall. She held her little head and started to cry, so I jumped in and scooped her up in my nine-year-old arms, then ran out the door and carried her out to our little path in the woods. We sat in the weeds, her on my lap and me rubbing her little head soothingly. After her cries ceased, she sniffled and looked up at me with lost, sad brown eyes.

"Why do mommy and daddy hate me? What did I do wrong?"

I scowled and held her close against me, then softly explained to her that no one hated her and she'd done nothing wrong, our parents just weren't very good at being parents. She tried her very best to understand, then she looked up at me and smiled, missing one of her little front teeth.

"Then it's a real good thing that I got a good big sissy like you, Joey!" I smiled back at her as she fell asleep in my arms, smiling in security. She called me 'Joey' until she was nine, then it went to 'Jo'.

And now, she looked up at me with those same lost, guilty eyes that needed a big sister to guide her. I half smiled at her, mentally telling her, "Hey kid, you're growing up well. What do _you _think you should do?". And that's when her confused brown eyes turned bold and confident.

"Melvin, carry Bakura to the truck. Ryo, Marik, you two help me tend to his wounds. Josie and Akefia, I want you to go to the nearest store and get better medicine with some of our money. Now let's go! We have to get him better ASAP!"

She stood and handed Bakura's limp body to Melvin, and we all started running back to the truck. As we neared it, I glanced back at Erica. She smiled at me.

_Thanks for being there for me, Josie. For everything you've done. _

I smiled back, hoping she could read my thoughts like I did hers.

_No problem, sis. You're really growing up. _

With that, I grabbed my boyfriend's hand and sprinted to the first store we could find.

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><p><strong>Erica's POV~<strong>

As soon as I was in that truck, I put Bakura's head onto my lap and gave everyone a new job. Melvin ripped the sleeves off my jacket for Ryo and I to use as rags, and Marik poured clean water from a bottle onto his cuts while we cleaned the blood away. After we had all of his cuts cleaned as best we could, Akefia and Josie returned with medicine to smear onto his skin. I spread the medicine while Marik wrapped his arms and torso in bandages. After he was as patched up as we could get him, I motioned for us to start driving again. Josie and Akefia climbed into the front, and we were on the road again. Everyone else began to doze off, but I remained awake and watched the battered albino that lay against me.

He had awoken once when we were cleaning his cuts, but only for a few seconds before he fell into a painful slumber. Now, as I watched, I couldn't imagine what he dreamed about. Or rather, what nightmare he was having. His expressions switched between anger, complete despair, then void of emotion at all. When this happened, I gently touched his soft cheek. He went rigid for a moment, then slowly relaxed against my touch. Slowly, I ran my fingers through his bangs and watched his face contort into an expression he seemed to not have used in quite some time. A smile. Well, a half smile.

When I speculated this, I bit my lip and gently pulled him onto my lap, his head resting against my shoulder. He appeared to be okay with this, as he rested against me without a hitch, his sleep beginning to become calm and peaceful.

I grinned and let my own eyes close, holding the troubled but secretly sweet albino on my lap all night.

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><p><strong>The Next Morning<strong>

**Still Erica's POV~**

When I woke up, I was disoriented. Instead of being leaned back against the hard metal of the truck bed, I was cuddled against something warm and firm. I rubbed my eyes and looked up, then instantly felt my cheeks warm up. Staring back at me was a shirtless, grinning Egyptian. Melvin.

Trying to sit up, I realized he was holding me bridal style. I blushed even more and tried to remember what had happened, but falling asleep with Bakura was the only thing I could remember. Bakura…

"Bakura! Where is he?! Is he okay?!" I looked back up at Melvin, only to see his grin falter a bit. He set me down, and I obtained a good look at my surroundings. I was in a small, neat room. A hotel. I furrowed my brow and again looked at Melvin for an explanation. His arms were crossed and he was looking away.

"Josie figured that we should probably get showered and decent before we go apartment searching. Thus explaining my shirtless attire. Bakura's in the bed over there, Marik's on the couch, and Ryo's on the floor with a blanket. I was holding you because I was moving you off of Bakura's bed and into the second one, because I thought you'd want your own. Josie and Akefia are in the bathroom, but they were in the second bed."

I nodded and looked around, surprised I'd slept through so much. I peered around at each of the boys, each fast asleep. I crept over to Bakura and examined his injuries; he seemed to be in better shape than before. I looked back up at Melvin and bit my lip, slowly sitting on the second bed.

"So, um... Are you gonna rest, too? Because… Um… You can... You can lay down with me, if you want…" I couldn't believe the words coming out of my mouth. How could I just be fine with him that close to me?! But when I saw him smile broadly, I knew that it made him happy that I trusted him, so I laid down and fell asleep once again.

I woke up only 20 minutes later, yawning and stretching. But as I went to sit up, I felt a strong arm wrapped around my waist. I glanced back, realizing that Melvin was in a tranquil sleep with his arm firmly around me. My face lit up like a Christmas tree, and I smiled shyly, then gently removed his arm from around me and stood up. I walked over to the bathroom and knocked, only to be answered by two voices yelling "Occupied!" at the same time. I assumed Josie and Akefia were still using the bathroom…

I went to walk over to my bag but accidentally tripped over Ryo and fell, squeaking. Landing on the floor beside him, I rubbed my arm and groaned, rolling over and finding myself face-to-face with the most adorable morning person ever.

He rubbed his eyes, then looked up at me in concern. "Oh, sorry, Erica! I-I didn't mean to!" He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a warm hug, then continued, "I just want to simultaneously apologize to you and thank you. Your life has been so hectic and crazy because of all of us, but you really saved us. So thank you, Erica." He smiled so sweetly that I could feel myself melting into his embrace.

"Oh, n-no problem, Ryo! I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world! You guys have… changed me. For the better, I mean. And... I'm really glad I met you…"

I looked into his thoughtful, gentle brown eyes and felt a large smile grow onto his face. I giggled softly and kept looking into his eyes, until they started to get closer. Not only that, but they started to close. My heart stopped as I realized he was leaning in closer to me. I gulped and glanced down at his lips, then felt my own eyes closing before my mind even told them to. We inched closer and closer until I could feel his warm, tea-scented breath on my face. Just as our lips were about to connect…

"ERICA!"

I gasped and bolted up, as did each of the boys in the room. I also glanced to my left and saw a disheveled, messy-haired Josie stumble out of the bathroom, a shirtless Akefia right behind her.

We all looked at the source of the voice; the bandaged thief breathing heavily on the bed. I jumped to my feet and ran over to Bakura, gently wrapping my arm around him.

"What is it, Bakura?! What happened?!"

He looked up at me and slowly started to calm his breathing, then cleared his throat and looked down at his hands in embarrassment. "J-Just a bad dream, I guess…" He laid back down and closed his eyes, then opened them again and furrowed his eyebrows, sitting up and looking around. "Wait a minute, where the heck are we?!"

I laughed softly, then each of us started to explain it to him while I kept my arm around him. As we finished, he seemed satisfied except for one question. His questioning gaze drifted over to Akefia and Josie.

"And, uh… What the bloody heck happened to you two?" He motioned to their tousled hair, ruffled clothes, and red faces.

Josie laughed nervously and blushed more, then cleared her throat, "Um, totally _not _making out in the bathroom, if that's what you were thinking! Ha! Ha Ha… Ha…" With that, she quickly pulled a grinning Akefia back into the bathroom, all of us chuckling in the background.

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><p><strong>That's it! I really hope you liked it! Who will Erica end up with? I think I'm gonna have only 1 to 2 more chapters, then maybe a bonus chapter. But we'll see! Thanks for reviewing, bye!<strong>


	16. A Psychotic End

**Author's Note: It's heeeeeeere! What's that you say? No one's reading this story anymore? Yeah, I know... But here's the end anyway! I spent a long time on this chapter, hope you like it! Thanks so much!**

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><p>Chapter 16: A Psychotic End<p>

_**One Week Later~**_

**Erica's POV~**

**CRASH!**

I jumped up from my comfy spot on our couch, then looked toward the kitchen and groaned inwardly. I set my magazine down and stood up, telling myself that it was my fault for leaving Marik and Bakura in charge of dinner.

I walked into the kitchen to see Marik sitting on the floor with a pot over his head and Bakura holding two bowls and wincing, all other pans and pots on the floor around them. I slapped my forehead and was just about to ask what happened when a soft British accent spoke out from the bedroom.

"Is everyone okay?! Erica?!"

I giggled softly and blushed lightly, then responded, "Yeah, Ryo! Marik and Bakura just can't cook!" I looked at the two and set my hands on my hips, raising one eyebrow. "Guys, how did this even happen? I said peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! You don't even need pots, pans, or bowls for that!"

Bakura rolled his eyes and dropped the bowls onto the floor, crossing his arms over his chest and failing to hide the blush dusting his cheeks. "Well, yeah, but we couldn't get any bloody jelly out of the jar with these confounded plastic contraptions!" I looked down at the plastic knife in his hand. I had made a strict "No Weapons" policy since we moved into the new apartment.

Marik lifted the pot from his head and smiled sheepishly. "So we thought it'd be easier to just dump the jelly into a bowl. But when we tried to get a bowl, I sorta tripped into Bakura's back and fell. So he rammed into the cabinet and everything fell…" He stood up and scratched the back of his neck. I rolled my eyes and laughed softly.

"I swear, you guys can't handle the simplest of tasks. Let me do it…" I took over the sandwich making and hummed softly. Until I felt two gazes on my back, that is. I slowly turned around and saw them both staring at me questioningly. "Uhhh… What?"

Bakura looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. "What the bloody heck are you wearing?..."

I looked down at my outfit and blushed despite myself. That morning, I had been complaining that I was out of clothes to wear. But we didn't have enough money to go clothes shopping yet, so I asked Josie if I could wear one of her shirts. However, because of our differing sizes, we knew it wouldn't look right. Apparently though, Melvin had been eavesdropping. He was getting ready to go to a job interview, so he pretended to just be walking by when he brought me one of his dress shirts. He told me I could wear it as a dress, since it was much too big for me. So I was currently wearing a guy's light blue dress shirt, black leggings, and a black belt around my waist. I looked at Bakura and slightly hid behind the door self-consciously. "M-Melvin gave me his shirt to wear… Why?..."

Marik and Bakura looked at each other, then back at me, Bakura avoiding my eyes and Marik smiling happily, both of their cheeks a light pink. Bakura answered first.

"N-no reason, I just wanted to know who would buy such an ugly shirt... Obviously Melvin…"

Marik furrowed his eyebrows and smacked the albino, then smiled at me and walked closer. "Oh, don't listen to Mister I'm Too Cool To Tell The Truth. We just wanted to know because it looks very nice on you." He finished the compliment with a killer grin that made me just a bit weak in the knees.

"Really?... Awe, t-thanks, Marik!" I giggled softly and went back to making sandwiches. A lot had changed in only a week's time…

After we left the hotel, we went apartment searching. And honestly, we took the first one we found because it was cheap AND had almost everything included. Since we didn't have anything besides a few bags, we were fully moved in that night. There were three bedrooms, so Akefia and Josie took the smallest one, Marik and Melvin took the medium one, Bakura wanted to sleep on the couch in the living room, and that left Ryo and I together in the largest room. (Which we let Bakura share with us, in all honesty.) The next few days were pretty much Josie, Akefia, and Melvin searching for jobs while the rest of us went grocery and necessity shopping. I also began tutoring Ryo, and Marik and Bakura even listened in sometimes. Within a few days, Akefia found a job at a sporting goods store as a clerk, and Josie became a model for clothing at a few different stores in the same mall. Melvin was still searching but only because he was looking for something he liked. Speaking of Melvin...

I glanced up at the door as he walked in, wearing jeans, a white dress shirt, black tie, and black converse high tops. He was grinning, so I hoped he brought good news. "Mel?..."

We all looked at him in anticipation, even Ryo walking into the doorway at the time. Melvin looked at all of us and smiled triumphantly. "I got a job!" I gasped in surprise and he held his arms out for a hug, so I jumped into them.

"Really?! That's great, that'll really help us out!" I looked up at him and smiled, then attempted to let go, only to be pulled against him more.

"Yeah, but in other news, my shirt looks great on you…" I saw a teasing smirk tugging on his lips and a mischievous look captivated his eyes. My eyes widened when I felt one of his hands trail down my back just a bit too far…

"M-Melvin!" I blushed immensely and smacked his hand away, earning an amused laugh from him. "J-Just tell us what your job is…"

"Hehe, sure… I'm gonna work at a store for outdoor activities, like camping supplies. Which means my knowledge of knives and survival will finally get to be used for good." He beamed at me, and I smiled back.

"That's great! Just no going crazy… There's a reason I don't allow any weapons at home…" I giggled, then looked around at the four guys around me and smiled fondly. I deeply liked each of them, each for different reasons and each in different ways. I laughed happily, then started to walk back over to the counter when Melvin stopped me.

"Erica, we need to have a chat…" I looked up at him in confusion, his expression a mix between amusement and seriousness. I glanced behind me. The other three boys were surrounding me as well. Marik looked shy and nervous, Bakura seemed embarrassed but serious, and Ryo appeared apologetic and extremely bashful.

I looked back up at Melvin in curiosity. "Okay, what's up?..."

He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at me. "I think it's blatantly obvious that all four of us guys have romantic feelings for you. So we want you to tell us your choice. Which of us, if any, do you share those feelings with?"

My eyes widened and I felt my heart rate go from zero to 100 within seconds. They all liked me?... I mean, I figured possibly one, if I were lucky, but _all four?!_ I bit my lip. I had just been thinking about how I was in love with them all! How could I choose between them?!

I think they all saw my hesitation, because Bakura spoke up, "Oh, just come out with it already. Feelings schmeelings, just say it." I looked between each of them and wrapped my arms around myself. I was honestly trying to pick which I would choose, but I just couldn't. I loved each of them, and I couldn't imagine being with just one when we all live with each other.

"I… I-I just… I don't know, okay?! I like all of you! AND I don't deserve any of you!" I covered my face with my hands, but just before I did, I saw them all share a surprised glance.

Marik hesitantly asked, "You... You mean you like us all back? You can't choose?" I nodded my head and kept my face covered, expecting them to all move on easily. But instead, I heard Ryo's soft voice.

"So... can we all just share you?..." I looked up to see him smiling shyly and blushing brilliantly. I looked at all of the other guys, who were each smiling as well.

"What... What do you mean?..." I looked at them all with curious eyes.

"Well," Melvin began, "it means we're all your boyfriend. We can all kiss you and so forth when we please without the others minding. So we'll all just have you at different times. If I'm with you one day, then, say, Ryo can be with you the next. We're all alright with that. Are you?"

I looked at each of them in awe. I never knew anyone could be so understanding and accepting and compromising, let alone four people. But as I saw each of them smile (even Bakura), I started to giggle excitedly and quickly nodded, bouncing happily. "Yes! Of course it's okay with me!" I squealed in delight and gave each of them a loving hug. Just as I was hugging Marik, Josie walked in, carrying a bag of new clothes that she got free from modeling.

She raised an eyebrow and smirked. "So you chose Marik, eh?"

I giggled and shook my head. "Nope! I chose them all!" I laughed softly at her confused expression, then explained everything to her.

She smiled. "Cool! That's really awesome for you guys." She beamed at everyone, then walked to her room to change. Bakura, Melvin, and Ryo also left the kitchen, leaving Marik and I alone. I glanced at him and smiled shyly.

"So... how about I teach you how to make macaroni and cheese?" He nodded excitedly, and I giggled as I picked a pot up off the ground and put it on the stove, pouring some water into it and explaining why as I did so.

"Oh, right, yeah... " I noticed his tone of voice implied that he wasn't listening at all. But just as I was about to turn and question him, I felt his chest pressing against my back. My voice caught in my throat as I felt two arms wrap around my waist. I glanced over my shoulder at his shy grin. "K-keep going!"

I giggled softly and nodded, feeling the tips of my ears heating up. I realized, however, that the macaroni was on the other counter. Without remembering his proximity, I turned to get it. What I got, though, was deep, surprised lavender eyes staring into mine only centimeters away. My own brown eyes widened and I smiled sheepishly while trying to speak, but all I could do was peer into his beautiful violet orbs. Our eye contact was retained for several moments until his gaze shifted downwards. Once I realized he was staring at my lips, my face heated up even more and I stopped stuttering. Before I knew what was happening, my own hands were on his face, gently cupping his cheeks. His eyes shifted back up to mine as we leaned in closer.

"M-Marik…" That was the last word I said before his lips captured mine.

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><p><strong>Josie's POV~<strong>

I had just stepped out of the shower into my room, towel wrapped firmly around my body, when Akefia barged in. At first, he froze, his eyes wide and blush evident. Then he smiled and strode over to me, setting a hand on the small of my back and giving me a kiss.

"Hey Beautiful, any reason your sister and Marik are making out in the kitchen?" I burst out laughing as I wrapped my arms around Akefia's neck, planting a second kiss on his lips.

"Hehe, probably because they're together now. She's with them all actually, they're sharing her." I smiled at him and put my nose up against his.

He looked surprised, then smiled and shrugged. "As long as they don't take my Queen…" I giggled and blushed at his nickname for me, then ran my fingers through his hair while looking at his eyes happily.

"Nope, I'm all yours, my King! In fact…" With that, I giggled and grabbed his cheeks, kissing him much deeper this time…

_**~Two Hours Later~**_

I walked into the kitchen, holding Akefia's hand and not intending on letting go any time soon. As we entered, I discovered that our dinner would be cold macaroni and cheese and sandwiches we had to make ourselves. "Oh, yummy…" I laughed until I heard a soft giggle. Erica?...

I pulled Akefia over to the doorway, then peeked into Ryo and Erica's room, spotting them both on the bed, Erica brushing his hair and laughing softly.

"Your hair's so pretty, Ryo!" He laughed softly and set one of his hands on top of hers on the brush, a light blush spreading across his face.

"E-Erica... This is p-probably a weird question, and y-you don't have to say yes. In fact, y-you'll probably say no, a-and I shouldn't even ask… B-but, then again-"

"Ry! Just ask me!" She set the brush down and laughed, her cheeks tinted pink.

He squeaked, then smiled sheepishly and fumbled with his hands. "C-can I... kiss you?..."

I saw my sister's eyes widen, then a shy smile grow onto her face as she nodded vigorously. But that was all I got to see before Akefia pulled the door shut and mumbled something about "his nosy little Queen". I giggled at that and jumped into his arms.

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><p><em><strong>~An hour later, Erica's POV, approximately 8:00~<strong>_

I was still blushing from the thoughts of Ryo's soft lips when I felt a tap on my shoulder. Looking upwards, I smiled as Bakura scowled down at me. I knew now that a scowl from him was nothing to be offended by. He just wasn't used to smiling.

I turned in my chair and giggled. "Things have certainly changed between us, haven't they? You almost killed me once!"

He sassily flipped his hair over his shoulder and rolled his eyes, sitting across from me. "Well, that's because you were getting too close to my soft side. And you were annoying. You're still annoying."

I laughed and moved onto the couch beside him, making him wrap his arm around me and blushing lightly. "Yeah? Well, you're a pain, so shut up." He looked at me and raised an eyebrow, then chuckled softly and smirked.

"Ah, but I'm YOUR pain now. And I'm 'kinda cute', remember?" He burst into a deep, rolling laugh as he watched me pout and blush.

"Oh, w-whatever! You're adorable, okay?" With that, a smirk grew on my face and I leaned in closer to him. "In fact…" I placed a sweet, simple kiss on his cheek and watched in amusement as his face lit up in pink.

"I-I... Uh... S-shut up! Y-you call that a kiss?" He scoffed and turned his nose up arrogantly. "Please, that was weak."

I raised an eyebrow and smiled, feeling my face heat up a bit. "Oh? So are you gonna show me a real kiss then?" He looked down at me and chuckled, a teasing smirk pulling on his lips.

"Nah," he stood up and started walking to our room, "I'm gonna let you get used to the baby kisses from the other guys. And then when _I _give you a true kiss, it'll be somewhere special. And…" He turned back to me, eyes twinkling dangerously, "You'll _never _forget it."

I sat in surprised silence with butterflies sparring inside my stomach as he went into our room, laughing evilly.

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><p><em><strong>Still Erica's POV, just a bit later~<strong>_

I had just finished my shower and was curled up on the couch with pajamas and wet hair, reading a book and munching on saltine crackers. As I flipped to the next page, I felt the cushion beside me sink down. I looked to the side, smiling at the tall Egyptian beside me. He was shirtless and barefoot, with gray, plaid pajama pants on.

"Hey Melvin," I paused to set the book down and offer him a cracker, "I was wondering if I should come see you. I saw all of the other guys alone tonight." I squealed in delight and surprise as he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me to his room. "Melvin! Were you even listening?! And I can walk y'know!"

He chuckled and set me on the bed, sitting beside me and wrapping his very muscular arm around me. "Yeah, but what fun is that? And I wanted to come have a moment with you before the other guys bombard us." He laid back on the bed and pulled the covers over us. I smiled and laid with him, snuggling into his side.

"Well, sounds good to me!" I giggled and rested my head on his shoulder, looking out the window and smiling contently. "My life's changed so much… _I've _changed so much. For the better. And all thanks to you guys." I looked up at him and smiled.

He grinned and pulled me closer, planting a kiss on my forehead. "Hey, we're the ones who should be thanking you. _You've _changed us more than you could ever imagine. Especially Bakura and me. We were criminals who didn't care about anything but ourselves and personal gain. Then you come sauntering into our lives with your innocence and kindness, and now we suddenly have a girl to love and look after. And do anything to make her smile."

I felt my cheeks heat up a bit as a large grin spread across my face. "Awe, Melvin!" I laughed and hugged him for all that I was worth, giggling and burying my face into his chest. "You're too sweet!"

I blinked and raised my head when I felt two soft, cool arms wrap around my waist from behind. "I like to think we're pretty sweet too." I turned to see Bakura's pale face, a slight smile on his lips. And behind him, Ryo and Marik were standing beside the bed, both sporting sheepish grins.

I giggled and pulled all four of the boys into a close embrace, smiling in absolute bliss. "As do I. You know, at the beginning of this summer, I despised the idea of working at an asylum. I thought I'd get murdered by a bunch of psychopaths. But now, I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. And I've learned that maybe even people who are deemed completely crazy can actually be pretty decent and good sometimes. Maybe all the time, if the right person comes along to guide them. And maybe we're all a little crazy. But hey, life's no fun if you're not a little psychotic!"

With that, we all laughed and hugged closer. When my giggles ceased, I looked up at the doorway to see my big sister smiling proudly at me, Akefia standing behind her with his arms around her waist. He was gazing at her lovingly, making me smile myself. I was so happy she'd found her true love.

She set her hands on top of Akefia's and beamed at me, "You've really grown up, Erica. And I'm very proud of the person you've become." As she ran over to join our group hug, Akefia right behind her, she laughed and sang out, "And I'm proud to be a freak, a lunatic, and most of all, a little psychotic!"

With that, we all sat there, laughing and hugging like the psychopaths that we were. We may be a family of misfits on the run from the law, but we're family nonetheless. And I just knew that we'd make it. In our own crazy, psychotic way.

_The End~_

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><p>"<em>Have I gone mad?"<em>

"_I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are." -Alice & The Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland_

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><p><strong>Yup, I decided to make Erica be with all of them! I couldn't choose between them! If you don't like that ending, I'm sorry, but I just couldn't pick only one!<strong>

**So that's it! The end of _Psychotic_! ...OR IS IT?! _IMPORTANT MESSAGE!_ I'm gonna make a bonus chapter set a few years in the future! Why? Simply because I want to, truthfully. But besides that, yes, this is the end. I might start writing more oneshots and another fanfic, but I'm not sure. Who knows what the future holds? This has been barrels of fun though, glad you were along for the ride! But that's all from me. Thanks so, so much, and review! Love, _TheDemonsWithin_**


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